


Who Rescued Who?

by AltruisticSkittles



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Arranged Marriage, Captivity, Death Threats, Dragon Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Dragon Deceit Sanders, Endgame Royaliceit, Individual warnings listed by chapters, It's been a while since I've wrote a slow burn and I can't wait, Kidnapping, King Thomas Sanders, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Near Death Experiences, No one actually dies it's just a lot of smoke, Patton's a healer though so don't worry too much, Prince Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Prince Morality | Patton Sanders, Slow burn Moceit, Slow burn Roceit, Wizard Logic | Logan Sanders, established Royality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21604879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AltruisticSkittles/pseuds/AltruisticSkittles
Summary: It was a simple plan. Break into the palace, kidnap one of the princes uniting the two countries, and kill him. That was all the contract told him to do. And, for a Dragonborn, it should've only taken him a few minutes.So, why was he here now, in an abandoned house in the woods, keeping the very prince he intended to kill captive and talking to him and sharing gross feelings and falling in lo- no. He was just biding his time. He'd wait until the other prince came to rescue him and then murder his lover in front of his eyes. That was the better plan, right? That made more sense, right? That's why he told the other prince his lover was alive. Now, all he had to do was wait.Oh, and not fall in love with not one, but two princes. There was also that one. But that one was easy.Right?
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders/Deceit Sanders, Morality | Patton Sanders/Deceit Sanders
Comments: 245
Kudos: 346





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! Gosh, I've been itching to write another fantasy story for so long! I don't know why I haven't done so before. It's practically my favorite genre! And, throw in a little slow-burn romance, and I'm set!
> 
> I've been wanting to write a Royaliceit fic for so long, but I could never find the right plot. This... this was just waiting for me, and I'm super excited to get going. Just note, I'm emphasizing "slow-burn" on this, so if that's really not your thing, best to turn around now. 
> 
> Now, without further ado, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

This was not his bed. No, this wasn’t his bed, nor was it the one that Roman set up while he was visiting Roman’s kingdom. He tossed his head to the side, and a splitting headache jumped into his temple. Patton moaned. He wanted to rub the spot, but he found his right hand was stuck. He pulled a little harder, and his wrist snagged on whatever pinned it again. He gave an experimental tug to his left one and found it in the same predicament. Not only that, but his feet were tied down as well.

What was going on?

Patton opened his eyes and blinked a few times. Sunlight streamed directly from the window onto his face like a sick fatal shot from miles away. He squinted and tossed his head to the side. Stone walls surrounded the bed. Torches flickered high above him. A fireplace sat unused beside another window with bars across it. The floor was made of hardwood, except for a small area beside the fireplace which was solid stone. A yellow rug carpet that looked way too soft for such a hard setting sat on top of the cold floor and invited him over.

When the sun left the other side, Patton noticed the other window had bars across it too. There was a solid wooden door beside it, and if Patton had to guess, he’d guess it was locked too. A large bookshelf stood beside it filled with different colored books of all shapes and sizes.

Patton gave another strong tug at the bonds around his wrists. No matter how hard he pulled, none of them would break free.

Memories eased their way back into Patton’s mind. He was at Roman’s palace. He and his court were invited to sign a treaty of peace, one that would end the century old fight between their kingdoms. It was to end in Patton’s arranged marriage to Roman, who would sit beside Patton and help rule Patton’s kingdom of Moraline. Roman’s older brother, Thomas, would take over Roman’s kingdom of Creativia.

Then, before Patton could put his signature on the paper, a large dragon swooped down on top of the ceremonial site and stole Patton from under Roman’s nose. The last sight he had of Roman was a desperate leap for Patton’s hand, then Roman tumbling down several feet into a ditch. Tears of frustration and fear welled in Patton’s eyes. He didn’t even know if Roman was alive after a fall like that.

For what felt like hours, Patton laid alone on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Counting the stones became boring after the 210th stone, and any song he started to sing reminded him too much of Roman for him to continue. It always ended with him choking on his own voice.

Large wings flapped outside and stilled Patton’s tears. Patton sucked in a shaky breath and tried to put on a brave face, but he knew the tear trails would give him away. Still, it wouldn't hurt to try. The wings slowed to a stop, and a large thud sounded outside. Patton held his breath as long as he could. Footsteps climbed the stairs outside and stopped at the top. The door to the room clicked open.

The first thing Patton noticed about the person was their two toned eyes. One was a warm brown while the other was a toxic yellow. Green and yellow spots lined the left side of their face. They wore a black cloak that covered a mostly yellow outfit, save for some yellow designs on the caplet. Patton had a feeling black touching yellow did not make this person a friendly fellow.

“Who are you?” Patton demanded.

The person tilted their head to the side, and a sickening grin slid across their face. Their boots slowly clopped on the wooden floor. Patton puffed out his chest to show his courage, but it didn’t intimidate them at all. Their face, which Patton realized was now covered in green scales, stared down at him like a predator from above. Their heterochromatic eyes narrowed, the slitted pupil on the golden eye widening a bit in the lowered light.

“Who are you?” Patton repeated and gave a tug on his bonds. “Let me go, right now.”

“Say please,” the person taunted. Patton let a frustrated growl through his teeth. The person laughed. They continued, “Come on, now. I thought the Moralites were all about manners.”

Patton scowled for a bit longer before he hissed out, “Please.”

“Please what?”

“Please,” Patton swallowed his anger, “please untie me.”

“No.”

Patton’s shock stilled his breath for a moment. The person laughed and walked away from Patton’s side. “What do you mean no?”

“I meant no. Do you not have that word in your language?”

Patton’s cheeks heated up. “Why not?”

“I can’t risk you running off on me and signing that treaty between you and Creativia. That’d be a huge pay decrease for me.”

“What do you mean?”

The person snorted and shook their head. “Do I have to spell it out for you? I thought Moralites were more clever than that.”

Patton gave two more yanks at his wrists, and the person watched him more with annoyance than amusement. They walked over to Patton’s side and grabbed his wrist.

“Let go,” Patton mumbled.

“If you keep pulling, you’re going to rub the skin off your wrist.”

“So?”

“So, that means infection, and I am not a doctor.”

“Well, I am, so let go!”

“And how are you supposed to heal yourself exactly if you can’t move your wrists?”

“I-” Patton paused, and he let out an annoyed huff. “I don’t know, but I’ll figure something out.”

The person sighed, and they let go. Their boots clicked across the floor once again, and they sat heavily in a chair by the bookshelf. Patton raised his head from his pillow to scowl again.

“Oh yes, very threatening,” the person taunted. “You’re as scary as a wet, shivering kitten.”

Patton let his head flop against his pillow. The person snorted, and frustrated tears came to Patton’s eyes once again. No, he couldn’t cry now. Patton tried to suck his tears back in, but they refused to listen. They trailed down his cheeks and puddled against the already wet pillow. Patton closed his eyes. Maybe if he squeezed them hard enough, the tears wouldn’t be able to come out.

A hand rubbed against Patton’s cheek, and Patton flinched. He snapped his eyes open. The person hung over him, an unreadable expression on their face. Patton tried to scowl, but a short sniffle gave him away and ruined his tough facade.

“Oh, don’t be too sad,” the person said. “I’m sure Prince Roman survived his fall, and now you don’t have to marry him by force anymore.”

“Who said it was by force?”

“Why else would anyone choose to marry such a whiny thing?”

“Prince Roman is courageous and kind and twice the man you’ll ever be!”

The person flinched at Patton’s shout. Good. Patton wanted him to. He slowed his breathing to an even pace and watched his captor closely.

“Well,” they spoke and walked back toward the chair, “here I thought we could have a friendly conversation, and you end up yelling. What a polite little king-to-be you are.”

Patton chose not to answer. He wouldn’t let this person’s taunts get the better of him. He pulled on his wrists again. His right one started to hurt, and a hiss rose from his throat. Still, he kept pulling. Eventually his hand would slip through. Patton was sure of it. In fact, his wrist was starting to wiggle out a little bit right now. His heart sped up. Patton kept pulling and twisting. Twisting and pulling. The skin begged for freedom and screamed for Patton to stop, but he had to keep going.

Finally, his hand pulled out. Patton let out a short triumphant breath. He twisted and started working on the tie around his left wrist.

That demon sighed and started coming closer, and Patton’s fingers fumbled with the strap buckle. Patton’s heart pounded.

“Stop that,” they scolded.

Patton chose once again not to answer. The buckle slipped open, and Patton pulled. However, a hand grabbed onto his wrist before he could pull it free.

“Let go!” Patton yelled. He struggled in the person’s grip and wished his feet were free. His captor twisted Patton’s wrist, causing pain to shoot up Patton’s arm. He yelped. For a moment, his captor almost looked guilty, but they soon secured Patton’s wrist in a tighter loop. Patton watched in horror as the strap dented his skin. They grabbed Patton’s other hand and did the same to his right wrist.

“There,” they mumbled and sighed. “When I had to pick which prince to kill, I didn’t think you would be the one who would give me the most trouble.”

“Kill?” Patton asked, his eyes widening. He started hyperventilating and struggling harder, even though he knew it was useless. “P-please no.”

“Relax,” the stranger said with a sigh. They rubbed their scaled skin. “I’m not really going to kill you. That was just the job description.”

“W-what?” Patton asked. He stopped struggling and blinked up at them.

His captor sighed through their nose and ran a hand through their hair. “Don’t think too hard about it.”

Patton watched them walk away. He sat up the best he could and studied them. For a moment, the stranger sat in the cushioned red chair and stared at the unlit fireplace. Patton kept his breathing even. He didn’t know how long the two of them sat in silence, but he wasn’t exactly interested in keeping up with the time he was stuck here.

“I’m Patton,” he introduced.

“I know,” the stranger said with a short laugh.

“What’s your name?”

The stranger thought for a moment. They sighed, and they almost looked like they weren’t going to answer for a moment. However, they soon spoke up, “I don’t have one, but you may call me Deceit.”

“Deceit?” Patton asked with a raised brow. “Why?”

“Because you asked for a name, and I gave you one,” they said and flashed a grin.

Patton settled back down into his spot and stared up at the ceiling. He could feel the stranger’s- Deceit’s- eyes on him every once and a while, but neither of them spoke to each other for what felt like ages. Eventually, Patton’s boredom got the best of him, and he started tapping his fingers on the bed below him. The rhythm soothed him a bit. He went back to counting the stones, above his head, and-

“Stop that,” Deceit mumbled.

Patton blinked and asked, “Me?”

“No, the window.”

“What did the window do to you?”

“Apparently Moralites don’t have sarcasm either. You. I want you to stop.”

“Stop what?”

“That tapping. Stop it.”

Patton smugly smiled. “I’m bored.”

“And that’s my problem?”

“I guess,” Patton said. He began tapping his finger again. Deceit growled and snapped his book closed. He shoved it back in its place and marched over to Patton. A quick snap of his hand on Patton’s wrist stopped Patton’s movement, and Patton blinked innocently at him.

For a moment, the two just stared at each other.

“Look,” Deceit grumbled, “I could kill you right now if I wanted to. In fact, I’m supposed to, so don’t make me do it faster than I want to.”

“If you’re supposed to kill me, why haven’t you already?” Patton asked.

Deceit watched Patton for a moment before stepping away. He pulled a key out of his pocket and shoved it into the door. He unlocked it, opened it, and stepped through it.

“W-wait,” Patton objected. Deceit paused and rose a brow. “You can’t- you’re just going to leave me here?”

Deceit shrugged. “That was the plan, yeah.”

Patton started pulling at the straps around his wrist, but there was no give this time. He sat up the best he could. “Please, don’t go.”

Deceit snuffed. “And why not?”

Patton chewed on his lip. He swallowed hard and tried to think up an excuse. Deceit waited, surprisingly patient.

“Well?” Deceit asked. “You think up a good excuse, and maybe I’ll come back.”

“I-” Patton paused. He tried to swallow, but his throat completely closed up. “I just… is this how I’m going to die? Abandoned here in the middle of nowhere?”

“That was- yeah. That was the idea.”

“Well can you… do I at least get one last request?”

“Eh, sure. What do you want? A piece of chocolate? A sword to cut yourself free? A cheeseburger-”

“Tell Roman that I’m sorry, and that I tried my best.”

Deceit watched Patton for a moment, the smug grin slipping away. He sighed through his nose and looked down at the ground. He answered at last, “Yeah, I guess I could do that.”

“Thanks,” Patton’s voice cracked as he spoke, “I appreciate that.”

Deceit nodded his head. He slowly closed the door behind him. As it clicked shut, he put his face into his hands. He shouldn’t have come back. He should’ve dumped Patton and walked away like he fully intended to. Pattton’s soft sobs slipped through the door and choked him. He took the wooden stairs one at a time to the lower level of the abandoned cottage and stepped into the warm summer sunlight outside. Out here, he could no longer hear Patton, but the guilt of what he’d done weighed heavy in his chest.

Perhaps if he went home, he could pretend this was all a nightmare that he could forget about.

Still, Patton’s last request buzzed in his mind. He shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t. Like, it was bad enough he was breaking the contract and not killing Patton right here right now, but to go back and confirm Patton was still alive and give Roman hope-

No. Nope. Wasn’t doing it. Wasn’t worth the risk. He didn’t owe anything to Patton. He didn’t owe anything to Roman- especially Roman- and plus, if his employer found out, he’d be in a whole world of trouble he didn’t sign up for.

Deceit chewed about what to do for a few minutes. He could go home and tell his clan what happened. He could not. He could go find Roman and give him hope to find Patton, only to never tell Roman where Patton is so they both die due to their own exhaustion. He could just kill Patton now like he was supposed to and not have to worry about anything other than Roman trying to find all Dragonborn and murder them in cold vengence.

Yeah, come to think of it, taking Patton instead of Roman might’ve been a bad idea. At least Patton wouldn’t try to come find Roman- at least, not that he was aware of.

When did his life get so exciting?

Deceit scrubbed a hand over his face. He glanced up at the sun before shifting his appearance. The golden rays warmed his scales. With two mighty flaps of his wings, Deceit rose into the air, sailed over the forest, followed the river’s flow, crossed the ocean, entered the country of Creativia, spied the ocean cliff that Roman jumped- fell?- chased them off of, and landed in the tall grass.

The sea’s breeze chilled Deceit’s skin. He rubbed his long sleeves and looked around. No one breathed beside the ocean’s waves. The grass danced in the breeze and wrapped around his legs, and the salt of the ocean stuck to Deceit’s face.

Before Deceit could shift back into his human form, a sharp pain stabbed his back leg. He turned around and let out a long growl.

Roman had his sword buried into Deceit’s leg. Half of his hair stuck to his face at odd angles while the other half dried in the breeze. His clothes were still soaked from landing in the ocean. Did he really stay at the ocean's edge for six hours?

Deceit gave a powerful kick, and Roman tumbled into the grass. Roman pushed himself back up and charged forward. Deceit snapped his jaw on the sword and picked it up into the air. Roman clung onto it as his feet left the ground. Deceit shook his head. Roman held on for a few moments, but eventually he lost his grip and fell back onto the earth below him. A large breath escaped his lungs. Deceit flung the sword over the cliff’s edge. Roman rolled over, his mouth gasping for air, and coughed.

“You- you fou-foul beast! Bring- ring him ba-back!” Roman grabbed a rock beside him and threw it. Deceit moved his head to the right. The rock whizzed by him and landed somewhere in the ocean with an echoing plop.

Deceit lowered his eyelids and glared down at the young prince. Even without a weapon, Roman still chose to fight back. Maybe Deceit was smarter for taking Patton.

“And why would I bring him back?” Deceit questioned.

Roman blinked up at him and asked, “Did- you just spoke my language.”

“Yes,” Deceit replied with a raised brow. “There’s a problem with this?”

“I just- I didn’t think you’d be able to,” Roman responded.

Deceit rolled his eyes. “Oh, yes, because all Dragonborn are savages, right.”

“They are when they kidnap princes that did nothing to them and kill them!”

“Who said I killed him?”

Roman’s mouth formed an ‘o’ shape, and Deceit tensed. He should not have said that. Roman’s brows lowered to his eyes, and he clenched his fists and teeth. “What did you do to Prince Patton?”

“Prince Patton? Who’s he? Never heard of him.”

“I swear, if you’ve harmed him-”

“You’ll what? Get on your valiant steed and charge after me? I’m shaking in my scales.”

Roman growled through his teeth and gave Deceit’s leg a kick. Deceit didn’t even flinch. Roman pointed a finger at Deceit and yelled, “I’d go to the ends of the earth to get Patton back, especially from a monster like you!”

Deceit’s head flared back, and he curled his lips into a snarl. It was then Roman realized, he was very much threatening a dragon with no weapon to defend himself. He took a step back, and Deceit snuffed smoke out of his nose. Roman coughed the contaminated air out of his lungs.

“A monster like me? Oh, yes, I’m sure I’m the only monster here,” Deceit’s voice rumbled in his throat.

“Shut up and tell me where Patton is, Drag-on.”

Deceit folded his wings against his back and raised his head high. He stared down at Roman from the tip of his nose and snuffed. “And if I don’t want to?”

“I won’t rest until you’re dead and he’s back at my side.”

“I consider that a challenge.” With a spread of his wings and a hard flap, Deceit took off into the air. Roman ran to the edge of the cliffside, studying which direction the dragon flew off in. He clenched his hands into a fist and released it soon after. Roman dug around under his tunic and pulled out a golden heart locket. He squeezed it in his hand and watched the dragon’s silhouette disappear in the setting sun.

“Don’t worry, Patton. I’ll get you back.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deceit returns home and finds his family waiting for him. After a rather sleepless night, he returns to Patton’s house to check on him- not because he’s attached, but just... he doesn’t know why okay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Multiple threats of death (don’t worry, no one is going to die), kidnapping, forced captivity, eating, multiple food descriptions, animal death, mentioned meat consumption, crying, torture mention, let me know if there’s anything else  
> Word Count: 4,269

What was he thinking? Why would he go and taunt Roman into knowing Patton was still alive? Why would he give himself that headache? This could only end badly. What was he thinking?

“Stars above, what was I thinking?” Deceit growled under his breath. He landed on the coastline of his island and caught his breath. The storm clouds hung onto the ocean’s edge, rumbled in the distance, and melted into the water. The sound of rain mixed with the ocean’s waves.

He had to relax. No human from Creativia had ever found the storm protected islands. Ever since his family fled here, they had lived in peace. Roman wouldn’t be able to find them. Everything was fine.

Still…

Deceit strolled through the forest, thankful to be under cover once again. Animals moved out of his way, twigs snapped under his claws, and dirt shifted under his paws. The way home was covered in brush, but that was only because he and his family never ventured this far to the west coastline. At least, not recently. They never had a reason to.

As the sight of his home came into view, Deceit shifted back into his human form. He pushed his hair back under his hat and strolled up to the door. From his pocket, he produced a silver key with a dragon’s head on the end. He marveled at it in his hand. Rust started to show its age. Claw scratches usually eased the rust away, and a fine coat of polish went a long way. He’d have to do that soon.

Deceit unlocked the door and walked inside. Why they needed a lock he’d never know, but it made his family feel safe, so he never questioned it.

“I’m home,” Deceit called through the empty living room. Feet shifted above him on the second floor, and Deceit’s heart swelled. He watched a ball of black and purple cloth dive into his chest and wrap arms around him. 

“Stars above I was so worried about you,” their voice mumbled into Deceit’s caplet. Deceit brushed long fingernails through their hair and kissed the top of their head.

“I told you I wouldn’t be long,” Deceit whispered. He moved them both to the couch and allowed them to cling onto his arm.

“You were gone for three whole days!” they snapped back. “That’s a long time to not know whether you were dead or hurt or not coming back at all.”

“I’m sorry,” Deceit mumbled. “I should’ve come to you as soon as I returned to the island.”

“Where did you go, and why?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Deceit pulled out a large bag of gold from his cloak, and their eyes widened. Deceit reached in and produced a silver coin. “Just a small job to get us this.”

“Is that… Vulgaria currency? Oh. Oh no. No, you’re not thinking of-”

“Trading with them? Oh no, why would I do that? It would only put a roof over our heads and allow us to live here in peace.”

“We already were living here in peace!”

“And how long would that last?” Deceit snapped back. He watched them go silent. “Come on now, you’re always worried about the future, and you can’t foresee us being found? They have boats. Big boats. And, with their thirst for power, it won’t be long before this island and all its creatures are found by people who would rather have land and power than allow us to live here freely. I did this for us.”

They stayed silent, their head buried into Deceit’s shoulder. Deceit ran his fingers through their hair, whispering soothing words of apology for yelling. For a while, the two of them sat together like that.

“You smell like human,” they mumbled into his clothing.

“Yes, well, I might have had a run-in with a small one. Don’t worry. They’re gone now.”

“You also smell like blood.”

“Yes, well, it wasn’t just the human I had a run-in with.”

They pushed away from Deceit’s side, and Deceit cursed as his blood stained the couch. He watched as their eyes began to widen with panic. 

“Now, I know what you’re thinking, but-”

“You’re bleeding, and you’re seriously going to tell me to calm down?” They glared at Deceit before standing up. Deceit called after them, but they disappeared into another room. After a moment, they returned with bandages and ordered Deceit to strip his pants away. Deceit did as he was told. They examined the wound and sighed through their nose.

“I’m guessing you were hit as a dragon, judging how small it is. Kinda deep though.”

“Yes, I told you not to worry. It was only a minor stab. It should heal fine on its own.”

“Still, I don’t want it infected,” they grumbled. They put a plant-based paste on Deceit’s wound and covered it with a white cloth. Deceit watched nimble fingers carefully wrap the wound, mesmerized by the tender movements. They tied it off, and Deceit returned his clothing back to its rightful place.

“Better?” Deceit asked.

They nodded in response.

Deceit sighed. He stood and stretched. The stars started to twinkle outside, and exhaustion settled into his bones. He wasn’t used to flying such great distances in a day anymore.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Deceit mumbled. He nuzzled his head into their hair, and they returned the friendly gesture. “May the stars aid your sleep.”

“And you as well,” they returned.

Deceit climbed the stairs after sending one last soft smile back and disappearing into his room. He changed into softer cotton clothing and burrowed under his bed’s heated blanket. The moon smiled down from the sky. Stars twinkled above as crickets sang a soft lullaby. 

For a moment, Deceit’s eyes closed.

When he opened them again, the stars still showed outside. The air stilled, and the moon had long ago moved from its low position in the sky. The crickets still sang, but now it sounded more like noise than a song. Deceit flipped over. Still, their noise grated on his nerves. He shoved his head under his pillow.

He wondered if Patton could sleep with all this noise. He wondered if Patton was up and tossing his head about, unable to block out the noise with his bound hands. He wondered if Patton’s stomach growled and kept him awake since he hadn’t eaten all day. He wondered if Patton cried himself to sleep.

He wondered why he cared about Patton’s wellbeing so much. It wasn’t like Patton kidnapped himself, tied himself up, and abandoned himself in a cottage deep in the woods. It wasn’t like Deceit let him do it and left Patton to his own devices. 

Maybe that’s why he found himself walking in the dead of night toward Patton’s prison. The house wasn’t far from his own, maybe an hour’s walk on human feet. Deceit unlocked the front door to the cottage and stepped inside. He climbed the stairs. 

Deceit stopped at the top of the stairs and listened. He could hear soft breaths from the other side, as well as a small repetitive clicking sound. He unlocked the door as quietly as he could and entered the room.

The candles had long ago extinguished themselves. A chill hung in the air. Patton laid in the same spot Deceit left him, his head tossed to the side and eyes closed. His mouth kept vibrating. That must’ve been where the clicking noise was coming from.

Deceit stepped into the room. He ran a hand over Patton’s bare cheek and noticed how cold it was. He should’ve brought Patton a heated blanket. Deceit eyed the fireplace across the way. Perhaps if he gathered some firewood, he could light a fire to keep Patton warm for the night.

Wait, why did he care? Patton was supposed to die here. Why would he waste his time keeping Patton alive? Maybe Patton would die from the cold in his sleep, and Deceit wouldn’t have to worry about him. It’d be more merciful to let Patton suffer as little as possible.

Still, he couldn’t help but think maybe one night wouldn’t hurt. Maybe then his conscience would shut up. Deceit exited the room, went outside, and snapped multiple branches off the nearby trees. He broke them into smaller sticks and stuck them into the fireplace. Then, with a quick puff of fire, he lit the sticks and brought the fireplace to life. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, but it worked.

Deceit sat heavily in the chair beside the fire. All this work was starting to drag his eyelids down. The fire danced and comforted him, the heat bringing warmth back into his cold scales. Maybe sleeping here for the night wouldn’t be such a bad idea. He let his eyes slip closed and enjoyed the warmth from the fire.

\--

When Patton started to wake, he did not expect to hear a fireplace crackling. He definitely didn’t expect to feel warm, not without a blanket on top of him, and he definitely didn’t expect for the fireplace to be kindling from its burning blaze. He sat up a small bit and saw a black shape in the chair beside the fire. Patton squinted and wondered if his glasses were smudged. 

No, he was seeing things right. That man- Deceit- the one who kidnapped him was sitting in the chair across from the fire.

But… but he was supposed to abandon Patton here. Patton was supposed to die cold and alone, wasn’t he? Why would he come back and light a fire? Was this his house? Was Deceit just all talk? What was going on?

Patton moving must’ve woke Deceit, because soon after, Deceit stretched and moaned in the chair. Patton stayed still and watched. Deceit’s back cracked as he stood.

“I don’t remember falling asleep,” he mumbled. He turned and got stuck on Patton’s eyes. For a while, the two of them stared in silence.

“Good morning,” Patton greeted with as cheerful of a smile as he could muster.

Deceit stared at him for a few seconds longer before glancing back at the fire. He sighed and rubbed his neck.

“No, it’s awful,” Deceit mumbled. “Completely awful. The worst morning I’ve ever had.”

“I guess you could call it a good mourn-ing then,” Patton said with a smirk. 

Deceit furrowed his brow, and he tilted his head to the side slightly. Patton’s smile didn’t leave, almost like he was proud of himself for confusing Deceit so much. Deceit shook his head and poked the sticks in the fire with his bare hands.

“It’ll be out soon,” he mumbled. He turned and blinked. Patton’s mouth was stuck open, his eyes wide with fright. Deceit rose a brow. “Something wrong?”

“It’s just- you stuck your hand in the fire. Didn’t that burn you?”

“I’m Dragonborn,” Deceit said with a roll of his eyes. “A few little hot sticks aren’t going to burn me.”

“Oh,” Patton mumbled and leaned back on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. “So, why did you come back?”

“Couldn’t sleep. Got bored. Came to see if you were dead yet.”

“Oh. And, uh, the fireplace?”

“I needed it to keep warm.”

“Okay.”

Deceit opened his mouth to speak again, but a loud rumble interrupted him. He blinked a few times and looked around. What made that noise? His eyes settled on Patton, who appeared to be changing from a white to a red color.

“Was that you?” Deceit asked.

“Um, yeah,” Patton said with a nervous laugh. “Guess I’m kinda hungry.”

Deceit stared out the window and noticed the sun rising over the trees. He hummed to himself and mumbled, “Oh, I guess it is breakfast time, isn’t it? I should probably get some.”

“Oh, okay,” Patton replied. He let out a long sigh and answered, “I guess that’s why they call it breakfast because you break your fast for not eating.”

“Are you trying to make sense of this ridiculous language?”

“Maybe?” Patton shrugged. “What else am I going to do, kiddo?”

“Kid- I’ll have you know I’m over three decades old.”

“Oh? Me too.”

Deceit opened his mouth to say something else but closed it soon after. He exited Patton’s room once again. With a heavy sigh, he locked up the house and exited into the brisk morning air.

Patton blew air out of his lips. He shouldn’t be surprised Deceit left him alone once again. He wondered how long it would take for him to starve to death. His stomach ached, and he wished he could rub the pain away. He wiggled his fingers to make sure there was still feeling in them. Surprisingly, yes. However, they were cold from the loss of heat from the fireplace, and he wished he could move ever so slightly to the right and into the sun’s beams.

For what felt like hours, Patton laid alone. However, he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs soon after. His heart pounded. Please be Roman. Please be Roman. Please be-

Deceit opened the door once again, shutting down Patton’s hopes again. He held a pile of feathers in his hands.

“I can’t stay long,” Deceit grumbled. “I have to get home, but I figured… look, if I didn’t come back I wouldn’t care, so just…”

Deceit put the pile of feathers on a table next to the bookshelf, and the smell of death choked Patton. Patton’s eyes widened as Deceit pulled a falcon from the pile and walked over to him. 

“It’s hurt,” Patton whimpered. He pulled at the cuff around his hand and tried to sit up. “Don’t worry, I can heal it. Just untie my hands, and-”

“I don’t want you to heal it,” Deceit said with a snort. “I want you to eat it.”

Patton’s jaw opened. He let out a nervous laugh and asked, “Um, why exactly?”

“I don't know,” Deceit mumbled. He started to pull the bird’s feathers off, and Patton’s stomach lurched. He squeezed his eyes shut and stopped his stomach from dry heaving. Deceit continued, “Don’t look too deep into it, okay? I just-”

“Deceit-”

“-caught too much is all, and I don’t want it to go to waste, so-”

“Deceit, please I-”

“-I figured might as well give it to you.”

“Deceit, I’m a pescatarian!” Patton’s words slurred together, but he was afraid if he didn’t vomit out his words, he’d vomit out something else. Deceit’s face went from shock to confusion, and he stared at the unfeathered bird in his hands.

“You’re a… what?” Deceit asked with a raised brow.

“I don’t… I can’t eat land meat. It makes me sick,” Patton explained.

Deceit rolled his eyes, “Of course you’d be complaining about me feeding you. You know, someone who is supposed to be killing you.”

“It’s not… I don’t mean to offend you,” Patton explained. “My family and I don’t eat land meat as a choice. We believe the land animals in our country are sacred, and eating something that provides milk, warmth, and companionship is inhumane.”

“Well, what did this bird ever do for you?”

“Falcons give us protection from wild mice and black rats that spread disease. Without them, we’d all be sick.”

Deceit thought for a moment. He stared down at the animal in his hands and almost felt… guilty? He never felt guilty for killing something he intended to eat before. It was just natural. He needed meat to survive.

“So, I guess you don’t want it,” Deceit mumbled.

Patton’s stomach growled, and he squeezed his gut a bit. He shook his head and swallowed hard. “No thanks, kiddo.”

Deceit’s anger bubbled in his stomach. Why did he care if Patton didn’t eat? Was it because he wasted his time thinking about someone who would rather starve themselves anyway? He put the bird on the table and licked the blood off his fingers. Patton wouldn’t look at him, but Deceit couldn’t take his eyes off Patton.

“So, what do you eat?” Deceit asked and rose a brow.

“Plants, mostly.” Patton ignored the disgusted noise Deceit made. “My family has an apple grove in our backyard that we pick together every spring. We make pies, juice, cider, butter, and even cakes with them. Apple Fest is a week-long celebration where we give thanks for all the food we’re able to grow.”

“Fascinating,” Deceit mumbled. He blinked. “What’s an apple?”

Patton laughed, and Deceit squinted. What was so funny? It was just a question.

Patton informed, “It’s a fruit. When a tree- ah- when the tree doesn’t need its flowers anymore, it makes an apple from the leftover flowers. Apples protect the tree seeds, and when they’re eaten whole by animals, the seeds spread so they can grow into a new tree. They can be green, red, or yellow. I like the green ones the best. They’re just the right amount of crunchy and sour.”

“Well, I can tell you, there are no apples on this island,” Deceit grumbled. He sighed and scratched his neck with his claws. “What else do you eat?”

“Well, um, berries, most vegetables, I really don’t like Brussel sprouts or asparagus or I’d say all vegetables, salmon, nuts, bread-”

“Wait, you eat fish?”

“Yes,” Patton answered slowly. “Don’t you?”

“What happened to not eating meat? Last I checked, fish counted.”

“I said I don’t eat land meat. Fish are different. We don’t keep them as pets, and their oil is really important for keeping our bodies healthy.”

Deceit thought for a moment. He picked up the birds on the table into his arms and exited the room. Patton wondered if he offended him somehow. Deceit left without another word, and Patton sighed through his nose and let the loneliness overtake him again.

At least Deceit was interesting to talk to. He just wished it was under different circumstances.

The sun rose higher in the sky, and Patton started humming his favorite songs. He could get through them without crying now. Some still choked him up, but most of them were more comforting and helped the time pass by faster.

The door downstairs closed again, and Patton held his breath. He hoped it was Roman, but something in his stomach told him otherwise. His door opened once again, and Deceit held all sorts of colorful shapes in his arms. He was also dripping wet, but that didn’t concern Patton too much.

“What’s that?” Patton asked.

“What’s it look like?” Deceit asked. He put the pile on the table and scooted it closer to Patton. Patton tried to get a look at all the plants Deceit gathered. Deceit continued, “I got you food.”

“Oh,” Patton put a polite smile on his face. “That was thoughtful of you.”

“Like I said, don’t look into it too much. If I didn’t come back this morning, I wouldn’t care.”

Patton hummed, and Deceit picked up a round red berry. He squeezed it in his fingers. The berry didn’t pop, but it did change from a red color to a yellow color. Deceit held it up to the light and examined it.

“I have no idea if these are poisonous to you or not,” Deceit grumbled.

“Well, that makes two of us, kiddo.”

Deceit’s eye twitched at the nickname. He put the fruit back and picked up another one. An eyebrow raised in question. Patton still didn’t recognize the oval-shaped purple fruit with pink spots, and he shook his head.

“How am I supposed to feed you plants when they can be deadly,” Deceit growled. “At least I know once the falcons were dead you wouldn’t die if you ate them.”

“No, but I’m pretty sure I’d get sick,” Patton reminded him. Deceit rolled his eyes. He picked up another fruit, and Patton’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I know that one! It’s a banana.”

“Well, is it dangerous?” Deceit asked.

Patton laughed once again, and Deceit pretended he wasn’t offended. “No, I eat those all the time. We have to trade for them though because they don’t grow in our soil. They’re a delicacy in my country.”

“Huh, well, they grow all over the place here,” Deceit mumbled. He placed it within biting distance of Patton’s mouth, and Patton eyed it curiously.

“Um, whatcha doing?”

“I’m going to hit you with it,” Deceit mumbled and rolled his eyes. “Feeding you. What’s it look like?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I guess it would be kinda hard to eat it without my hands, huh?” Patton said with a laugh. He added, “It’s just… you’re supposed to peel it first.”

“Why?”

“So it’s a-peel-ing to eat.”

Deceit wondered why Patton had to word so many things so weird. Maybe it was a language barrier thing. He brought the banana back and stared at it. “What is… peeling?”

“Well, um, you know how you had to pull the feathers out of the falcon before you eat it?” Patton asked. Deceit nodded. “It’s kinda like that. I can eat the peel, but it’s better without it.”

Deceit hummed. He took his claw and sliced the banana open. The inside was surprisingly white, and he took the skin off and threw it on the ground. Patton opened his mouth to speak, but Deceit interrupted him.

“I’m not leaving it there, don’t worry. I don’t eat bananas, but I know what their peels do,” he grumbled. He held the now shaven banana out to Patton.

Patton took a bite, and his eyes widened. They started to sparkle with tears, and he chewed rather slowly for someone who was on the brink of starvation.

“What’s wrong? Is it rotten?” Deceit asked, turning the banana over in his hands.

“No, it’s just… it’s just so good,” Patton said. “I never tasted a banana like that before.”

“Me either,” Deceit said with a smirk. 

Patton waited for Deceit to bring the banana a little close before taking another bite. He chewed and swallowed before he explained, “The bananas my country gets are always so hard and sour, but this is so soft and so sweet. It’s almost like candy.”

Deceit pretended he knew what candy was and hummed. Once Patton got to the end of the banana, Deceit popped the last bit into his own mouth to taste it. His stomach lurched. Deceit nearly vomited on the floor. He spat the banana out, sending white bits all over the floor, and wiped his tongue off on his shirt.

“That’s disgusting,” Deceit spat. “How do you like that?”

Patton shrugged the best he could. He responded, “I feel the same way about meat.”

“But at least I tried that,” Deceit mumbled.

“Well, if we both liked the same thing, there’d be no more food left.”

Deceit watched Patton for a moment before standing. He gathered up the forgotten fruit on the table and opened the window. With a toss, the fruit flew out the window and landed on the ground below. Patton let out a long whine. Deceit closed the window and brushed his hands on his cloak.

“Well, at least now I know what to feed you,” Deceit said, “if I ever feed you again, that is.”

Patton watched Deceit pick up the discarded banana peel and wrinkle his nose. Deceit walked over to the fireplace and threw the peel in. It didn’t burn, meaning the fire had extinguished, and he put his hands on his hips.

“Why would you feed me again?” Patton asked, his voice small.

Deceit shrugged. “I don’t know. I get bored sometimes.”

“But I thought…” Patton’s voice trailed off. He stared up at the ceiling and took in a shaky breath. “If you’re going to kill me, why go through all this trouble?”

Deceit watched him for a moment. He walked over to Patton, his boots clicking on the floor. Patton’s glassy eyes stared up at him, and Deceit pushed away every ounce of sympathy he had.

“Maybe it's because I like tormenting you,” Deceit said with a dead-serious expression.

Patton whined and closed his eyes. He swallowed hard and didn’t respond. Deceit walked over to the door once again and opened it. He took one last glance back at Patton, who still refused to look up at him, and shook his head.

Deceit informed, “I don’t know when I’ll be back. Could be tomorrow. Could be next Sunday. Could be never. So… bye.”

Patton didn’t look up at him again. Deceit didn’t expect him to. He closed the door and left Patton alone in his own silence.

He should’ve been home this morning. No doubt his brother was worried. Deceit gathered up the rest of the food he caught this morning and set off for home.

He couldn’t take care of Patton. Patton was not a pet. Patton was a job. If he continued to care for Patton, he was going to get attached, and that couldn’t happen. Patton was supposed to die. He was supposed to kill him. No relationship was supposed to form between them, and all he was doing was delaying the inevitable.

Deceit made up his mind. That was the last time he was going to see Patton alive. He had to, or else this was going to get harder, and he couldn’t risk getting attached. No matter what, he wasn’t going to go back. Not if he couldn’t sleep. Not if he couldn’t think of anything but Patton laying helpless as his body faded away. Never again.

Deceit sighed. Thinking all that was the easy part. Doing it… that was another thing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman is determined to go on the rescue mission to get Patton back, no matter what his brother Thomas says. He just has to figure out a way to do it without anyone noticing. Too bad for him, Logan is going on the mission, and it'll be hard to go without being noticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Arguments, multiple kidnapping mentions, death mention... that’s pretty much it  
> Word Count: 3,199

“Absolutely not.”

“But Thomas, I-”

“Goodness gracious, Roman, what were you thinking? You honestly think-”

“Thomas, I’m not a child anymore! I can-”

“-let you run out to who knows where and-”

“-be just fine. If you’d just give me a chance, I-”

“-could lose you too. I can’t lose you too. There’s not enough-”

“-time to prove I can handle myself and-”

“Enough!” Thomas banged his fist on the table, making the candles and Roman jump into the air. Thomas swallowed thickly and pinched the bridge of his nose. He scrubbed a hand over his hair then down his face. For a moment, all he did was stare at the table. His eyes blinked rapidly, and his teeth locked his anger into his throat with a swallow. “Enough, Roman. I said no.”

“But if you just-”

“I said no!” Thomas’s head snapped up. “We have knights for this. Roman, please, I know you feel bad about Patton, but this isn’t-”

“It’s not just Patton. It’s the fact that a Dragonborn swooped into our land undetected and stole him right from under our noses. I’m… I’m embarrassed and angry and ready to get him back. You can’t just make me wait here until the knights come back.”

“Watch me.” Thomas walked away from the table and toward his room, his red rosed cloak flowing behind him. 

Roman chased after him. He continued to argue, “I saw which way the dragon went. I can help!”

“And I told you, there is no land to the east. The only place that way is Vulgaria, and it’s more to the south than the east.”

“And maybe the dragon turned and went there. Did you ever think of that?”

Thomas snapped his head around, annoyance in his eyes. He took a deep breath and walked back to Roman. After putting a hand on Roman’s shoulder, he mumbled, “Look, I know what it’s like to lose someone you love, but what good will it do if you’re both dead? I can’t… I loved Patton too, but I can’t-” he swallowed hard- “I can’t lose both of you.”

Roman sighed through his nose and put both his hands on Thomas’s cheeks. He pushed their foreheads together and took a deep breath.

“I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just-”

“Frustrated.”

“Yeah. It’s just… cruel irony, that Patton was taken by a Dragonborn, when-”

The door knocked, and both brothers turned their attention to it. Thomas called out a quick “enter” and the double doors swung open.

Two people walked in. One was wearing the knight’s uniform, a golden rose embroidered on their chest plate and red cloak flowing freely behind them. Their feet clanked on the stone floor as they approached. The other wore a long blue robe with purple accents, a long tie, and a belt with various potions on it. His walking staff clanked every two steps, and a determined frown settled on his lips.

“Noble Joan, Sir Logan,” Thomas addressed, “Are you ready?”

“As we’ll ever be,” Logan responded.

Roman sputtered and gestured at Logan. He whined, “Okay, I can understand Joan going, but Logan? He’s not even a knight? Why does he get to go and I can’t?”

“Because Sir Logan is well versed in protection and healing spells,” Thomas informed, “and he’s not royalty.”

Roman scowled, and Logan cleared his throat. He turned to face Logan and folded his arms.

Logan spoke, “I also have a vast knowledge of Vulgaria and can communicate freely between the citizens there as well as try to find Prince Patton. It would be unwise to not have me go along on the mission.”

“Sure, rub it in,” Roman mumbled.

Thomas sighed and spoke, “Now, Roman-”

“I know it’s hard,” Joan interrupted. Thomas looked over at Joan, thankful for their help. “I know it’s going to be hard, but I promise you I’ll do everything I can to get Patton back.”

“I know you will,” Roman replied with a sigh. He rubbed his neck. “I just… I feel like a failure. I promised to protect him. I told him I’d protect him, and here I am just… waiting like a coward for my knights to fetch like a dog.”

Logan and Joan shared expressions, and Thomas took a deep breath. The two left Thomas and Roman in the peace of the throne room, and Thomas walked back to the map at his table. He leaned over it and shook his head.

“What are we going to do?” he mumbled. “If Patton did… if something happened, and the treaty between us and Moraline falls through-”

“Cassie would never let that happen,” Roman replied. “Worst comes to worst I’ll- if Cassie will have me that is- I’ll marry her to keep the treaty alive.”

“But, Roman, you’re both gay.”

“I know, but honestly, how many of our ancestors that were gay were married to people they didn’t love?”

“That’s true, but- but I never wanted you to marry someone you didn’t love out of duty. You and Patton, you formed a special bond since you were little. You grew up with each other, and this marriage was more than just a treaty. It was a bond between two people who loved each other. I’d let you marry Patton even if there was no catch.”

“I know.”

“And I’m sure Cassie wouldn’t make you marry her anyway. I heard she already has a sweetheart lined up to be her betrothed.”

“Ah yes, Lady Mara. I’ve heard all about that,” Roman said with a roll of his eyes. Thomas gave him a nudge, and Roman let out a giggle.

“Be nice,” Thomas warned, but the smile on his face showed he shared the same sentiment. The two brothers stood in silence for a moment before Thomas stretched. “Well, I’m retiring for the night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah,” Roman mumbled. Thomas walked over and patted Roman’s shoulder before stepping out of the throne room.

Roman walked over to the map on Thomas’s desk. It included both the continent of Mindscape and the smaller islands off to the side. The mainland almost resembled a human brain. Creativia sat at the southernmost point, a peninsula between the Roamin Ocean (which Roman was so graciously named after) and the Turbulent Sea. Directly above it was the country of Moraline, the largest country on the continent. To Moraline’s west was the country of Soulle, which Creativia didn’t trade with as far as Roman knew. He knew the royalty there, but only by name. Then, to the east of both Moraline and Creativia were the islands that made up Vulgaria. Most of their weaponry came from there, something the two countries hadn’t needed since their reign of peace began almost twenty years ago. Their island neighbors fell silent, and Roman wondered if they knew the Dragonborn still lived on their shores.

Roman folded the map and stuck it into his cloak. He took a deep breath and silently begged for his brother to forgive him. However, he couldn’t stand idly by and sit like some prince waiting for true love. 

\--

Logan dodged the second fish vendor in the past five minutes and hurried to Joan’s side. The knight looked sympathetically at him, their eyes straight ahead and face shadowed by their helmet.

“Are marketplaces always like this near the coastline?” Logan questioned.

“They are in the morning, yeah,” Joan replied. They ignored someone calling out for them to try some fresh produce. “You just gotta keep moving. If you stop, they’ll sell you anything.”

Logan opened his mouth to retort when a long stick jutted between him and his destination. He slowly turned his eyes over to an elderly man with a crooked grin.

“Well, hello there,” the salesman said, “I couldn’t help but notice you have a rather run-down walking stick there. Care to trade for a new one?”

Logan gripped his staff protectively against his body and puffed his chest out. “I’ll have you know that this staff has been passed down by my ancestors for nearly five generations. I would never part with it.”

“Wow, never pegged you as the sentimental type,” Joan taunted. Logan shot them a glare.

“That’s a shame,” the salesman replied. “See, this staff that I have right here is made from the finest cherry oak, and it’s probably much more stable than that old thing.”

“No thank you.”

“Well then, how about this handcrafted mahogany staff made by my own granddaughter. It’s one of a kind, and it was her first whittling project. She was so proud, and I’d love to sell it to someone who understands the value of a family artifact.”

“I said no thank you,” Logan responded, his face growing red.

“Alright, I get it. Mahogany isn’t your thing. So how about-”

Logan banged his staff on the ground. Blue sparks flew out underneath it and dashed across the stone. It silenced most of the people walking in the street, who stopped to stare at the exchange. The salesman’s mouth snapped shut. He stared at Logan, who leaned in awful close to his face and swallowed hard.

Logan growled, “I don’t want a new staff. Do you comprehend what I’m saying now?”

“Right, right, yes my mistake,” the salesman said as he backed down. “I’m sorry to have upset you, sir. Have a lovely day.”

Joan stifled a laugh behind their hand as a smug smile crept onto Logan’s face. Logan walked through the marketplace with his head held high. No other vendors tried to force him to buy anything else. 

“Well, you showed them who’s boss,” Joan spoke with amusement in their voice.

“I don’t like being made a fool of,” Logan responded.

“Right. Noted.”

The two of them made their way to the dock. Boats of all shapes and sizes lined the harbor, some with sails that towered over the tallest buildings. People pushed past them with large bags of fish, some said their goodbyes to their loved ones as they set off on their journey, and some gave Joan and Logan weird glances as they passed by. Of course, it wasn’t every day they got to see the royal knights out this far, so they excused the weird stares.

“I’m looking for Captain Thompson,” Joan informed a few of the fishermen. They were generous to give Joan directions, and Joan thanked them for their assistance. Joan and Logan traveled down the boardwalk to a small cabin in the center of the shipyard. A small bell sat on the counter, and Joan read the sign next to it. They rang the small bell once to get service.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” a high pitched voice called from the back. Joan wrinkled their brows in confusion and shared their expression with Logan. The wizard didn’t seem phased by the voice.

As they stood there, a boy with scruffy red hair and more freckles than stars in the sky approached the window. He appeared to be in his teens. A bubble blew from his mouth as he leaned one arm on the counter.

“What can I do you for, gentleman?” he asked.

Joan opened their mouth to speak, but Logan interrupted, “We are here on King Thomas’s orders. There’s supposed to be a boat waiting to take us to the country of Vulgaria.”

“Oh, so you’re Noble Joan and Sir Logan. Sorry about the misgender,” he said. Joan held up their hand to show no offense was taken. The kid continued, “My pop hasn’t returned yet from the marketplace, but he should be back within the next hour or two. You’re welcome to wait in here if you want.”

Joan gave a nod of thanks and turned back to Logan. They sighed and folded their arms.

“Well, now what do you want to do?” Joan asked. They looked around, not really wanting to go near the marketplace, but also not wanting to stand around for an hour.

Logan pulled a book out of his satchel and sat down on the ground. He answered, “I fully intended to read this on the ship, since it is a two-week-long journey, but I suppose I can start a bit early.”

Joan sighed through their nose and watched the ocean’s waves for a moment. They then stood and strolled toward the marketplace.

“Don’t let him leave without me,” Joan instructed.

“Of course not,” Logan answered.

Joan walked toward the marketplace, and Logan engulfed himself in his book. If humans were going to name the stars and rely on astrology to predict their future, he might as well educate himself on the phenomenon, even if he thought it was ridiculous. Nothing controlled fate. Fate controlled everyone, and no arrangement of stars or cards could change that.

“You must be Sir Logan,” a gruff voice spoke. Logan glanced up from his book. A man with a long ginger beard, muscles bigger than Logan’s head, and a sack strung over his shoulder approached. Logan closed his book and stuck his hand out to give a firm shake.

“And you must be Captain Thompson,” Logan said. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“And you as well.” Captain Thompson looked around and furrowed his brow. “Say, uh, I don’t mean to be rude, but I thought my vessel was carrying two people over to Vulgaria.”

“Oh, yes. My companion, Noble Joan, should be with us momentarily.”

“Alrighty then. You mind helping me get some of this stock aboard?”

“Of course not.”

Logan eyed the crates lined up beside the boat. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The wind picked up, and when Logan opened his eyes once again, they were glowing blue. He grabbed his staff in both hands and allowed it to hover above the dock. Ancient words flowed from his lips. Logan tapped the stick twice against the ground, and blue dust floated through the air and surrounded the crates. They lifted the boxes into the air and onto the boat. With a heavy plop, they settled on the ship’s deck. The boat rocked from the sudden weight change.

Captain Thompson let out a bellyful laugh and pounded his hand onto Logan’s back. He said, “Now, that’s how you load a boat in style!”

Logan curled his nose and inched to the right. He fixed his glasses, which the captain accidentally knocked askew, and cleared his throat. He said, “Yes, well, I certainly wasn’t going to lift them up there myself.”

“Ah, don’t be modest. You look like you could lift a few heavy sacks over those broad shoulders,” the captain complimented. With a wink, he walked the boarding strip and started shifting the boxes. “I could use some help. We’ll want the weight even so nothing falls overboard.”

“Are the seas rough?” Logan asked as he stepped aboard the boat. His stomach twisted with memories.

“Eh, not as bad as in the summer. The seas are a bit calmer now. Though, the storm off to the east is still in full swing. We might hit some choppy waters.”

“Wonderful,” Logan grumbled. He ignored the way his feet moved under him as he boarded the boat.

The captain pointed to a few boxes and said, “Just push them there over to the port side and we’ll be good to go.”

“Of course,” Logan responded. He took a moment to remember the port side meant the left side in boat language. With a shove, he slid the boxes across the deck and into a small corralled area. He secured them to their spot with a few ropes. Logan stood back and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Everything should be in order, now.”

The captain leaned over the railing of the boat. “Oh, good to hear! Now, all we need is your friend to jump on board and we’ll be good to go.”

Logan noticed a silver gleam entering the ship, and he turned to face the knight entering the ship. He rose a brow. The knight walked to the front of the boat, their hands on their hips, and stared out into the sea.

The captain spoke, “Are you prepared to set sail, Noble Joan?”

The knight turned and flashed a thumbs up. The Captain ordered his small crew to start weighing anchor, and the ship set sail out into the ocean. Seagulls cawed above as the ocean waves splashed the sides of the boat. It rocked and rolled against the current.

Logan’s legs shook under him, and he contemplated sitting down. He never thought he’d have to sail the Roamin Ocean again in his lifetime. Logan spied the knight at the end of the dock, and his sickness eased into determination. He walked across the deck, keeping his teeth clenched and stomach down where it belonged. As he reached the knight’s side, he folded his hands behind his back and let the wind wave his hair out of place.

“It truly is a beautiful sight, don’t you agree, your highness?”

“Wha-” the helmet lifted off the knight’s face, and flabbergasted eyes blinked at Logan. “How did you know it was me?”

“Roman, I’ve known you since you were a toddler. Do you honestly think I wouldn’t be able to guess you’d stow away on a ship to sail and find Patton, even against your brother’s wishes?”

Roman looked down, a sheepish blush spreading across his face. He mumbled, “You’re not going to make them turn the ship around, are you?”

“Of course not. If that were the case, I would have objected while we were still on the docks.” Logan paused. “What happened to Noble Joan?”

“Um, well I mean, I may have slipped them a drugged drink that put them to sleep, and I may have paid for a room for them to spend the night in, and I may have stolen their clothes so that I could sneak onto the ship undetected… which sorta worked. They should be okay. A little traumatized, but okay.”

Logan rose a brow, and a small smile tugged at his lips. He shook his head and walked away from Roman’s side. He said, “Just promise me you’ll stay out of trouble while on board. I’m not your babysitter.”

“You have my word as a prince and a gentleman,” Roman said with a small bow. Logan snorted, settled against one of the crates, pulled a book out of his bag, and continued reading.

Roman turned back to the ocean. The sea breeze rustled his hair, and the ocean’s spray cooled his skin. He took a deep breath of salty air and exhaled it through his mouth. The ocean stretched farther than he could see. In two weeks, that horizon line would be replaced by the Vulgar Isles, and Roman would be one step closer to finding Patton. His hand reached up and gripped the heart-shaped necklace around his neck.

“Just give me two more weeks,” Roman whispered. He kissed the gold locket around his neck and took a deep breath. “Two more weeks, and I’ll free you from that evil dragon’s clutches. Then, I’ll make sure no one ever takes me from you again.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deceit’s starting to worry he won’t go through with his job. In a rush effort, he decides to do something drastic to rid himself of Patton. Now if only he could go through with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Near-death experience, fear of dying, multiple threats of death (don’t worry, no one is going to die), kidnapping, forced captivity, suffocation, choking, crying, thunderstorms, mentions of eating meat  
> Word Count: 3280

For the rest of the day, Deceit managed to stay away from the house containing Patton. He prided himself on his resilience. Two times he wanted to go see Patton’s progress, but he held out. He knew if he went to see him, he’d cave in again, and that couldn’t happen.

Speaking of the human, his brother was starting to get suspicious. Not only did Deceit return the first day with the scent of humans on him, which his brother could excuse because of Deceit’s long disappearance, but he returned again this morning with the same human’s smell on him. Deceit had to jump through hoops to lie. He tried everything from the smell staining his clothes to the smell not leaving him yet to it just being his brother’s imagination. Eventually, his brother dropped the subject, but Deceit knew it wasn’t the last he’d hear of that argument.

His brother was out hunting at the moment, and that left Deceit alone in the house to his own devices. He curled up next to the fire and decided to take a nice long nap. Sitting on a cushioned chair for half the night was fine, but the exhaustion of constantly worrying was starting to get to him.

Too bad taking a nap wasn’t working.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get Patton’s face out of his head. He rolled around on the floor, his face in his hands. Since when did he care about a human? What did a human ever do for him, besides run him out of his home and nearly kill his brother? Humans were a stain on this earth. It was because of them that he and his brother were forced to hide on a deserted island and live in solitude.

Deceit recalled the days where he traveled in a large herd of Dragonborn, each family uniquely colored. He remembered how many friends he had, and how close they all were. They lived in the mountainside, far out of the human’s reach and undisturbed for hundreds of years… or so they thought.

Deceit grabbed onto his hair and rolled onto his stomach. With a hiss through his teeth, he let his forehead bump onto the cool floor below him. Why did he ever take that deal? Why couldn’t he just stay off Vulgaria? If he would’ve stayed home, none of this would’ve happened.

He needed to get out and stretch his wings. Flying always cleared his head.

Deceit stood and exited the house. The evening air painted the sky with all sorts of reds and oranges, and soon his brother would return. Deceit shifted into his dragon form. He spread his wings wide. With a mighty flap, he took flight straight up into the air.

From up in the sky, Deceit could clearly see the storm surrounding the entire island. Its gray clouds mixed with the angry red of the sky, and lightning struck the ocean below it. Rain blurred the lines between fantasy and reality. No ship was brave enough to enter the never-ending storm, at least not in a few decades. Deceit wondered if it would ever disappear. From what he heard though, the storm was as endless as eternity.

Good. Fewer humans meant more safety.

The forest surrounding his home glowed in the low afternoon light. Its branches swayed in the light breeze, shushing the forest into peace. A few animals caught Deceit’s attention, but he left them be. After all, he’d soon have his brother’s fresh kill on the table, and there was no point harming any more animals than necessary.

Wait, since when did he care?

Deceit flew past the forest and over the jagged mountains that split the neverending storm around the island. Their jagged rocks erupted from the ground like dragon teeth. Mist floated through their crevices like smoke, and the smell of sulfur breathed into the air. A low rumbling sound, most likely echoes from the storm’s thunder, growled and warned any stranger that death awaited them there. Deceit never personally explored the mountains, but from what he heard, creatures unimaginable to the average mind lived there, and they were nowhere near friendly.

As Deceit soared over the mountains, he caught sight of the endless storm to the island’s east side. The clouds were thicker than the pond’s scum, and just as dark as the night sky. Lightning struck multiple times a second, looking like a deadly firefly serenade. The wind threatened to blow Deceit right out of the sky. The heavy rain’s fury splattered about his wings and stung against his scales. Maybe if he stayed here long enough, he could wash Patton’s scent off him. Deceit endured the storm for a few minutes longer. His body begged for him to turn back.

Eventually, Deceit turned away from the storm and back over the mountain. He followed the breeze that split the clouds around the mountains and back over the forested area. With a shake of his head, Deceit flung rainwater off his neck and allowed the dry trees a drink.

His brother should be back by now. Deceit headed over the forest’s line and glanced down. The house Patton stayed in sat undisturbed all day. Deceit lifted his head. He continued forward a little way more and landed outside of his home. His paws thundered against the ground, and he folded his wings back up against his body. After shifting back into a more human form, he entered the house and took a deep breath.

“It’s about time you got back,” his brother grumbled.

Deceit ran claws through his wet hair and shook the excess water away. His brother eyed him over carefully with a stern frown. 

“What?” Deceit mumbled.

For a few seconds, all his brother did was stare Deceit over. Eventually, his brother shook his head and mumbled, “Nothing. Just wondering why you’re wet.”

“I went for a stroll through the endless storm,” Deceit said with a shrug. His brother glared at Deceit out of the corner of his eye but said nothing.

Deceit noticed the meal his brother caught for him sitting on the table. His mouth watered. He strolled over and took a deep breath. The enticing smell of food eased his mind into numb pleasure, and he took a bite. Juice ran down his chin, and Deceit quickly wiped it away with a cloth.

“You didn’t go to Vulgaria again, did you?” his brother said so low Deceit almost didn’t hear it.

Deceit lowered his meal to put all his attention on his brother. “And if I did?”

“Why?” His brother whined, clenched his teeth, and sighed through his nose. “Why would you- you know what, nevermind. I don’t wanna know. Your business is your business.”

Deceit shrugged and continued with his meal. He finished, cleaned himself off, and excused himself to his room. His brother’s eyes followed him the whole way up. Deceit wondered just how suspicious his brother was. He’d have to be careful if he visited-

No. No-no. Patton was not open for visiting hours.

Still…

Deceit flopped onto his bed and squished the pillow over his face. He didn’t even like the human. He couldn’t care less about his stupid dimples or stupid diet or stupid use of words or stupid hopefulness. Deceit sat up and raked his claws through his hair. He had to get this over with. If he didn’t, Patton was going to haunt him for ages.

With a goal in mind, Deceit descended the stairs once again and headed to the front door. He ignored his brother calling out for him. He ignored how heavily he shut the door. He ignored half the flight to Patton’s house.

It was time.

Deceit unlocked the front door and stormed up the stairs. He unlocked Patton’s door and nearly bent the key in his grip. That was okay. He wouldn’t ever need it again. Deceit flung the door open with so much force, it banged against the opposite wall.

Patton’s head popped up, confusion in his eyes, followed by that little polite smile he gave every time Deceit came.

“Oh, welcome back,” Patton greeted.

Deceit didn’t answer.

Patton swallowed and nervously laughed. “Kiddo, if you stand in the door, you’re going to let in a draft.”

Deceit closed the door with a heavy thud that thundered throughout the small room. His eyes never left Patton. He could feel Patton’s heart start to race. The longer the silence settled between them, the more anxious Patton became and the more angry Deceit grew.

Slowly, like stalking prey, Deceit crept across the floor. His boots clopped against the hard ground, warning everyone of his presence. His claws dug into the skin of his palms. His eyebrows shadowed his eyes, and his teeth tightened so hard they could bite through steel.

Patton’s smile started to disappear. He clung onto it as long as he could, but his own fear started to get the better of him. Deceit could see Patton’s eyes start to glisten in the low light. Patton shrank back into the pillow as far as he could go. His fists gripped the sheets below him, and by reflex, he tried to get away but very much couldn’t.

“Deceit, um, you’re scaring me a bit there,” Patton’s voice squeaked. He tried to put the smile back on his face, but it didn’t last long.

For what felt like hours, Deceit stood at Patton’s side and shook with fury. His hands clenched and unclenched, and he ground his teeth together. He could do this. He could. It’s not like Patton could get away and make this harder for him. All he had to do was… kill him.

So what was he waiting for?

Deceit’s right hand squeezed Patton’s neck. His claws dented skin, and Patton sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.

“Deceit, wait! Wh-what are you-”

“What does it look like!” Deceit yelled. Patton jumped beneath his claws, and Deceit swallowed the guts threatening to spill out his throat.

“But you said-”

“I know what I said! I’m a liar, you know. That’s why my name is Deceit.”

Patton’s eyes widened. His whole body started to shake despite the restraints he was under, and he nearly bit off his lower lip. He sniffled through his nose.

“But, you can’t-”

“Of course I can! What, did you think this was some sort of vacation? Some sick getaway? No! I’m supposed to kill you. I was just being stupid before. I should’ve known that I- I should’ve just done this in the first place. No games, no hope of rescue, nothing.”

“Deceit-” Patton’s words cut off as Deceit’s claws cut into his skin. “Deceit, please! Let’s just talk about this.”

Deceit ignored the tears rolling down Patton’s cheeks ever so gently as they puddled onto the pillow. Deceit ignored how much Patton shook like an autumn leaf barely hanging on to a branch. Deceit ignored how much it hurt that his claws were against Patton’s neck, how much it twisted his heart and squeezed his gut and made him feel like he was scum under a rock for ever thinking of killing someone like this.

“Talk about what?” Deceit asked, his voice near hysterics. “There’s nothing to talk about! If I don’t, he will.”

“Who will?”

“What does it matter!” Deceit pressed down on Patton’s neck. Patton choked, and he struggled to breathe under Deceit’s grip. Deceit glared down at him, his own vision disappearing into a tunnel. All that mattered was Patton. All he could care about was Patton.

“Deceit,” Patton managed to squeak out, his voice distorted, He squeezed his eyes shut. His throat tried to swallow. He coughed twice. “M’sorry.”

The pressure eased up on Patton’s neck ever so slightly.

“You’re sorry?” Deceit humorlessly laughed. “I’ve got my hand pressed against your neck ready to strangle you, and you’re the one who’s sorry? What the f- for star’s light above, Patton, what could you possibly be apologizing for? You don't know me. You don't know what I've done or why I'm doing this, so what are you saying sorry for?”

Patton’s eyes closed less in pain and more in resignation. His breaths stopped coming so sharply, and instead wheezed past Deceit’s hand like a dying prayer. For two seconds, his lips searched for the last thing he wanted to say, the last thing he'd be apologizing for.

“You.”

Deceit’s hand flew off Patton’s throat. Patton coughed and gasped for air, his body jumping off the bed as he attempted to fill his lungs and failed. Deceit watched the color return to Patton’s face. He grabbed his hair with both hands and pulled. 

For a moment, the two of them attempted to catch their breath together. 

Patton eventually slowed his breathing to an even pace. He studied Deceit's reaction to everything with curiosity and relief. 

Deceit still refused to look at Patton. He stared up at the ceiling, his hands still fisted in his hair and chest heaving. His eyes slipped closed. For a moment, his breathing and Patton’s heartbeat synced up.

“Deceit?” Patton’s small voice searched for an answer. 

“I’m thinking,” Deceit snapped. Patton’s mouth snapped shut as well.

Deceit started to pace. He stopped a few times to glare at Patton then continued moving once again. His teeth gnashed together. His heart pounded and breathing shallowed.

“You wanna think out loud?”

“What is it with you and sharing feelings?” Deceit grumbled.

“It’s healthy,” Patton responded. His fake smile appeared once again, the one that was supposed to make Deceit feel sorry for him and take pity on him and release him like there was no problem whatsoever with that sentence. 

“Heh-healthy?” Deceit mumbled. “Right, like me talking about my feelings is gonna make all this okay.”

“Well,” Patton paused, “not really. I mean… this isn’t… okay, but that doesn’t mean whatever’s going on with you has to be okay, okay?”

Deceit blinked. “What?”

“Um, I think I mixed up a few words there,” Patton said. He mumbled in a language Deceit couldn’t understand, his eyes squinting at the ceiling. Then, Patton’s eyes popped open and he said, “I meant, it’s okay you’re not okay, okay? Don’t feel bad for not being okay.”

“Is that the only word you know?” Deceit scoffed. “Okay?”

“No.” Patton’s smirk returned. 

Deceit snorted. He almost missed that snarky sense of humor. He shook his head and sighed through his nose.

“Look, Patton-”

“I get it. I mean, I didn’t want to believe it, but you… you really were sent to kill me. This wasn’t some sort of prank or thing to get Roman out of that rut he was in. This is real.”

“You thought this was a prank? What kind of pranks do you pull in that country of yours?” Deceit grumbled.

“Well, prank like… not a joke kind of prank, but like a fake situation-”

“I know what you meant!” Deceit pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why do you take things so literally?”

Patton shrugged. “Must be a language barrier kinda thing, kiddo.”

Deceit’s eye twitched. He sighed through his nose and rubbed some warmth back into his arms. Patton was unusually calm for someone who almost died, and Deceit hated it.

“Yes, this was real,” Deceit grumbled, “but what isn’t real is how calm you are about this! How can you sit there after I just tried to kill you and want to talk about how I’m feeling? What about how you’re feeling? Don’t you hate me? Don’t you want to make me pay for everything I’ve done to you? You should be spitting insults at me, not… not some feel-good bullshit.”

Patton observed Deceit for a few moments. His eyes blinked as he contemplated his words and formed them into a coherent sentence. Deceit almost anticipated Patton’s response. He waited on Patton’s staggered breath.

“Because I know you really don’t want to do this,” Patton answered.

Deceit threw his hands up in the air. “I give up. I give up, okay? I’m done trying to understand you. Just- I’m leaving.”

“Oh,” Patton pulled another smile on his face. “Okay then. I’ll see you later I guess.”

“Don’t count on it,” Deceit grumbled. He swung the door open and slammed it closed. Deceit’s feet thundered down the stairs two at a time, and he nearly closed the front door hard enough to break the hinges. 

“I’ll see you later I guess,” Deceit mocked. He sighed through his nose. What game was Patton trying to play here? Was he manipulating Deceit to come back every night? 

That- Deceit snapped his fingers. That was it. Patton was some sort of Magi. He was using his magic to manipulate Deceit into believing Patton wasn’t supposed to die. He was making Deceit keep him alive. Oh, the evil little demon.

Deceit shifted into a dragon and took flight back to his home.

Of course Patton was manipulating him. Why else would he keep a human alive? The question was: how was Patton doing it? Was it in that fake smile that could charm a snake? Was it in those thick black eyelashes that fanned all Deceit’s edge away? Or, was it the way he spoke, how soft and tender his voice was like a father singing a lullaby to his children on a thick, starry night?

Didn’t matter. Deceit had to figure out how to shake this spell off of him, or else Patton was going to get more control. More control meant more problems. More problems meant more humans. More humans meant he and his brother were in danger.

He had to think up some way to kill Patton tomorrow, but what?

Deceit landed in the grass with a heavy flop. He shifted back into his human form. Instantly, something smelled off. The door to the front of the house was cracked open. His brother never left the house unlocked.

“I’m home,” Deceit called into the barren living room. No feet thundered down the stairs. No air stirred. No one breathed. Deceit called out again, “I’m home!”

The fire in the living room had extinguished long ago, leaving Deceit in the cold of his abandoned home. He climbed up the stairs two at a time, his heart pounding. Maybe he just forgot to shut the door when he left and he didn’t notice. Maybe everything was fine. Maybe his brother left the house for a walk or something. Maybe…

Maybe…

Maybe that man from Vulgaria knew that Deceit didn’t do his job. Maybe he came back to get what Deceit took from him. Maybe he wanted to give Deceit incentive to kill Patton faster. Maybe-

Deceit pushed his brother’s door open a little harder than necessary. His brother’s scent was stale, meaning he hadn’t been up here in a while. The strongest place was the living room where Deceit left him. However, even that scent wasn’t as heavy, meaning his brother left the house a long time ago.

Wait.

What if his brother followed him? What if his brother was outside of Patton’s home now, wondering what Deceit was doing with that old doctor’s cottage? Did Deceit lock the doors? Wait, no, no he didn’t, did he? He was so angry, he forgot What if he-

What if his brother released Patton?

Deceit screamed his brother’s name and raced out the front door. He shifted as quickly as he could and clumsily took off into the sky. He pushed himself as fast as his wings could take him. No matter what, he had to reach that house before things got out of hand.

Hopefully, he wasn’t too late.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out Deceit isn’t the only one interested in whoever is in that house. His brother is curious. What has caught his brother’s attention? Is it dangerous? Why doesn’t Deceit want him to find out what it is?
> 
> Well, you know what they say, curiosity made the cat do something stupid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: fear of dying (don’t worry, no one is going to die), a pretty descriptive panic attack, one nsfw joke that comes with a curse word, I think that’s pretty much it :)  
> Word Count: 3,765

So this is where his brother was disappearing to.

The younger Dragonborn had to admit, following his older brother wasn’t usually on his top priority list, but he’d be damned if he didn’t figure out what his brother was up to. He watched his brother storm out of the abandoned ancient house and slam the door closed. He might have jumped. He hadn’t seen his brother so aggravated in a while. His brother shifted and took off into the sky.

For a moment, the younger of the brothers stayed hidden and watched the dragon silhouette disappear. Once it was gone, he sat in the leaves and contemplated what to do. Should he go into the house? Was it too dangerous? Would he get hurt? Was his brother being hurt? What if whatever was in there was manipulating his brother into doing bad things?

Without a sound, he eased out of the bushes and crept up toward the house. He tested the door handle and was surprised to find it unlocked. He twisted it and took a deep breath in and out.

“You can do this,” he whispered to himself.

The door creaked as he opened it. Dust floated in the air and glowed in the moonlight. The smell twisted his nose. It smelled like something died in here. He closed the door behind him and blinked in the low light to adjust his vision. 

Coughing upstairs froze all his muscles. Someone was here.

Were they sick? Was his brother taking care of them? Were there any more Dragonborn on the island? The only other one he knew of lived in the forbidden mountains, and he didn’t dare seek them out, mostly because he hated their guts, but would his brother? Probably. His brother was loyal, after all.

The floorboards creaked under his weight, and he held his breath. Nothing in the house moved. Did they hear him? If they did, they didn’t make any noise to suggest they did. 

The dining room caught his attention. Pictures covered with dust lined the shelves. Little toys nestled beside them and looked like they played in the snow. The clock had long ago stopped ticking like the heartbeat of the house’s owner. A fireplace that he wished was lit lay untouched in the far right wall. 

Stairs winded up in a spiral to a door. The wood looked safe enough. He tested the bottom step with his foot. It didn’t make a sound. He tried another, then another, and before he knew it, he stood at the top of the stairs.

From here, he could hear someone on the other side crying. His heart panicked. Someone else was definitely in this house, and it smelled just like the human that his brother reeked of. Question is, who was it? 

His hand hovered over the door handle. Should he go in? What if they weren’t friendly? What if they got angry that he was in their house? What if they tried to hurt him? What if they got angry with his brother for letting a stranger in the house?

He took a step back, and the step behind him creaked. All sound on the other side of the door stopped. He held his breath as well. For a moment, nothing dared to make a sound.

“Hello?” a voice called out, so soft and uncertain that he had to strain his hearing to hear it.

Should he answer? Should he say something back? He chewed on his thumb claw. 

“Deceit, was that you?”

He blinked. What the heck was Deceit?

A long sigh whispered through the door, followed by a sharp sniffle. The crying started again, and his heart ached. Whoever was on the other side of the door was obviously in agony. His hand lowered onto the handle.

A hand slapped down on his mouth. His claws flung up to scratch at his attacker’s wrist, and he let out a muffled scream. Their other arm wrapped around their waist and drug him backward down the stairs. He kicked and scratched and did everything he could to get away.

He shouldn’t have gone in. He should’ve stayed outside. What was he thinking? Of course this person didn’t live alone. Of course someone else would come by and think he was attacking or breaking in or worse. 

Now what was going to happen? Was he going to die? Would they hurt him? Would they hurt his brother, thinking he betrayed them? Why was everything always his fault?

The attacker managed to get down the stairs without the two of them falling. He slammed his heels on the ground. He nipped at the skin on their hand, he scratched, he wriggled, he-

“Will you stop, you gremlin?" a voice whispered in his ear.

He went stiff as a board.

He mumbled his brother’s name behind the assailant’s hand.

“Yeah, who did you think it was?” his brother snapped back. 

He stuck out his tongue and licked his brother’s hand with as much spit as he could gather. His brother dropped him right away with a noise of disgust.

“What in the north star’s name is your deal?” the younger of the two yelled and threw his hands up. His older brother shushed him, but he wasn’t in the shushing mood. He continued to yell, “Who is that up there? Why are you-”

His older brother slapped a hand over his mouth again. He prepared another lick, but his brother gave him a glare that told him ‘don’t you dare’. He swallowed his spit for now.

“Look, I’ll explain everything, but not here,” his brother whispered.

“Why not?” he asked and folded his arms over his chest.

“Well, I-” his brother raked clawed fingers through his hair- “because I’d rather do it in our house where it’s safe.”

“Is whoever’s up there dangerous?”

“No,” his brother replied slowly.

“You don’t sound too sure about that.”

“Well I mean, he hasn’t attacked me, but I think he’s- look can we just go home to talk about this?”

He glared at his older brother for a few minutes. A deep breath in and a deep breath out through his nose eased his nerves a small bit. 

“Is he hurting you?”

“No,” his brother said with a light laugh.

“You’re not lying, are you?”

“You wouldn’t believe me even if I said no.”

“Fair point.” He blew a long breath through his lips and stared up at the door on the second floor. His eyes turned back to his brother for a small moment, and he moved his hands from his chest to inside his pockets. “Alright, fine, we can talk about this at home, but why didn’t you tell me what was going on before?”

“How am I supposed to explain I’m keeping a human as a pet?”

“You what?” he yelled, and his brother shushed him. He lowered his voice to a whisper, “Are you being serious with me right now?”

“Maybe.”

“I hate you and your stupid riddles.”

“I know.” His older brother flashed a grin. 

He let out a long sigh and ran his hands down his face. With one last glance at the door, he followed his older brother out into the night, leaving whatever was being guarded above his head alone. 

\--

"So let me get this straight," the younger Dragonborn said as he ran a claw around the rim of his drink, "You decided to kill a human from Creativia for a little bit of money?"

"That's the gist of it, yes."

"And you thought it'd be a good idea to lie about it and keep the human alive anyway."

"Well, I'm trying to kill it. It's making me feel… I can't figure out how to kill it is all."

"Its a human. It's fragile. All you have to do is shift into a dragon and sit on it or something."

"Sit on it." 

"It'd work."

"Yeah if I want to get bit on the ass."

"You'd need an ass first."

"It's me. I'm the ass."

"Is that why you smell so bad all the time?" 

"Only because your scent rubs off on me."

The younger Dragonborn curled his nose in disgust. He set his drink aside, stood, and stretched his hands over his head. “I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow morning.”

His older brother stood and greeted his brother by pressing their foreheads together. “May the stars aid your sleep.”

“And yours as well,” he returned. He strode toward his room and flopped down on his bed.

Something about that house still bothered him. That smell. There was something familiar about that smell, but that was impossible. He hadn’t had any contact with humans since the accident. 

He tossed over onto his side and stared at the dark night outside. His brother still walked around downstairs and mumbled to himself. He tried to make out the words, but nothing sounded familiar. With a sigh, he rolled over again.

There was one thing that his older brother was right about. That human was good at making you think about them. Here he laid on his bed not even knowing what they looked like and wanting to see them again. Maybe they weren’t a human but a siren in disguise.

The sound downstairs disappeared, and he held his breath. His older brother must’ve gone to bed because he could hear soft snores from the room beside him. For a few minutes, he held his breath.

Then, once he knew his brother was fast asleep, he exited his room and slipped out into the cold night’s air. The young Dragonborn shifted into his dragon self and took flight. 

He only got lost once before he found the house again. He landed in the grass and shifted back into his human form. As he approached the door, he realized his brother locked it. He cursed under his breath. Of course his brother would lock it. Why wouldn’t he?

The young Dragonborn walked around the house looking for another way in. He shook each window and was disappointed to find all of them locked. For a moment, he stood in the grass and wondered how he was going to get inside.

An idea struck him. It was risky, and there was no guarantee it would work, but he could try to climb to the second story and see if one of the windows was open. He sunk his claws into the stone siding of the house. The window above him climbed closer, and he dug his nails into the windowsill to get a better grip.

He squinted to get a better look inside. The moon lit the otherwise dark room. A human shape laid on the bed and didn’t move. He pressed his nose against the window. The pane creaked and shifted, and he reared his head back. Was it open? He risked letting go with one hand to push the window. 

To his surprise, it opened with only little effort on his part.

He crawled inside, struggling a bit to force his hips through, and landed with an ungraceful plop on the inside. He mumbled a low curse. He recalled where he was and held his breath. A quick glance at the bed showed the human hadn’t stirred from their spot.

The young Dragonborn tiptoed over to their side. From what little light came through the window, he could see soft curls and smooth pale skin. No scales lined the human’s face for protection. Their hands, which were practically declawed and not threatening at all, were held down by thick leather straps. Their feet were in the same predicament. From what he could tell by their slightly open mouth, their teeth were dull like a herbivore.

He blinked and tilted his head to the side. Why was his brother so afraid of this thing when it was so defenseless?

The human took a deep breath in, and he sprung back against the wall. Their eyebrows pinched together, and a look of pain crossed their face. He wondered if the human would wake up. If they did, they would certainly see him, then they would scream, then his brother would come and he’d be in so much trouble and- they convulsed and blew air through their nose, then settled down.

Oh, the human just sneezed.

He took his hands off his ears and hummed. Stupid him thinking they would wake up and start screaming. In fact, their eyes were open, and all they were doing was staring, so-

Wait.

His eyes widened, and he pressed his back further into the wall. He brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, hugging them close for protection. The human flashed their teeth at him, so he did the same.

“Hello,” they said in the human’s native tongue.

He hissed through his teeth.

The human scowled, but they soon showed their teeth again. Did they really think he’d be afraid of those flat little stubs when he had a row of razor-sharp teeth ready to defend himself?

“Are you lost?”

He squinted and stayed still in his position, his chest puffing out ever so slightly.

The human laughed, and they shook their head. “You probably can’t understand me, huh?”

“I’m not stupid,” he snapped. “I can understand you just fine.”

The human’s eyes widened, and he mumbled a curse. He wasn’t stupid, huh? Then why did he just show the human he could speak their language?

“Oh, so you can understand me,” they said and gave a laugh. “That’s great! My name is Patton.”

He snorted. “What kind of name is that?”

“Well,” Patton responded, “I was named after my grandfather, so it runs in the family.”

“Uh, okay then,” he responded.

“What’s your name?”

He grinned and replied in a growl and purrs that his brother used, fully knowing the human couldn’t replicate them.

“Gee, that’s a mouthful, kiddo,” Patton said with a small laugh, “I bet it means something great.”

“It means ‘protector’ in my language,” he informed, his chest swelling with pride.

“Nifty.”

He blinked. Nifty? What kind of word was that?

Patton continued, “I don’t know if I can say that though.”

“You’re not supposed to.”

“Well, I mean, I could try.”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “I’d love to hear that, actually.”

This Patton cleared his throat and took a deep breath. He rolled his tongue against his throat and started laughing. Then he tried again, this time, rolling his tongue then grunting.

The young Dragonborn burst out laughing and held onto his stomach. Patton awkwardly laughed as well, but it didn’t reach the same joyful level.

“Do you have any idea what you just said?”

“Not a clue,” Patton answered, his pitch suggesting he didn’t really want to know the answer.

“There’s really no direct translation, but to us, you said ‘fuck me’.”

Patton’s eyes widened, and he cleared his throat as he looked away. A nervous laugh left his lips, and he hummed low in his throat. He mumbled, “Sorry, um, that’s- that’s not what I meant to say at all.”

“I figured,” he replied.

“Well, in my language, we use the world ‘virgilenta’ which means “protector” so-”

“Wait, what do you mean in your language? Your language just says “protector” and is done with it.”

“No, I mean… I don’t usually speak Creatish. My first language is Moralin.”

“Wait really?” He blinked. Patton spoke Creatish so well, he didn’t realize that it wasn’t his first language. Maybe Patton learned Creatish a long time ago. His brother did say he took Patton from Creativia, so it was entirely possible. Oh, wait, the human was speaking. He probably should pay attention.

“-so I guess I could call you Virgil for short,” Patton said, “if you’re okay with it that is.”

“Virgil,” he said, playing with the name a bit. He liked how it rolled off his tongue. In fact, he mumbled it to himself a few times to make sure he was saying it right. It felt a bit clunky, and it was hard to move his tongue to get the “L” sound at the end, but he did it. “I guess it’s kinda cool.”

“So, hello there, Virgil,” Patton said with a smile.

“Sup?”

“Oh, not much. Just a bit tied up with things,” he replied.

Virgil snorted through his nose and sat cross-legged on the ground. He spoke, “Yeah, I can see that.”

Patton settled into silence, and Virgil’s nerves started to get the better of him. He shouldn’t be here in this strange house talking to a stranger he had no business even meeting. What would his brother say? What would he do?

“So, do you know Deceit?” Patton asked.

“Who?”

“Oh, um, I guess it’s kinda silly to think all Dragonborn know each other, huh?”

Virgil stayed quiet, and Patton played with the blanket underneath his fingertips. He studied Patton for a few seconds longer before answering, “Did you try to say my brother’s name too and give him some Moralin name?”

“No, he actually gave me his name.”

“Deceit,” Virgil furrowed his brows, “Why would he give you such a stupid name?”

Patton did his best to shrug and replied, “He said he didn’t have a name.”

“Of course he has a name,” Virgil said and threw his hands up in the air. He growled, purred, then hissed.

“Is that… his name?” Patton asked with a raised brow.

Virgil blinked and replied, “Uh, duh.” Wait. “Yeah, that’s what I call him. It means ‘loyal’ in our language. Why would he tell you Deceit?”

“Beats me, kiddo.”

“Kiddo?” Virgil growled. “I’m not a kid. I'm almost three decades old.”

Patton hummed, and he blinked a few times. “I didn’t say you were.”

“What, do you think I’m deaf or something?” Virgil asked and crossed his arms. “You literally just called me a kid.”

“I didn’t- wait, is that what Roman meant when he said-”

“Roman,” Virgil drew out the name, his heart pounding in his chest. “Like… like Prince Roman? You know him?"

Patton studied Virgil’s reaction, and the mirth from his face fell. He answered slowly, “Yes?”

Virgil dug his claws into his hands so hard he swore he drew blood. His stomach twisted. Sweat lined his brow as his heart threatened to burst. His vision tunneled to black, and for the first time in years, he smelled too much grass and heard too much screaming and tasted too much blood and felt too much pain in his back as his wings were snapped and he was- 

_Chased._

_Capture. Captured. Oh stars above, I’m-_

_Released._

_Fight. Flight or Fight. Freeze- don't freeze. Go. Go!_

_Lost. I’m lost. I can’t be lost. Lost._

_Lost is bad._

_Lost is very, very bad._

_I’m caught. I’m- I’m hurt. Blood. There’s so much blood._

_Sword- oh stars above I- gonna- I’m gonna- gonna- this was it I’m gonna-_

_I don’t recognize anything. I can’t, I-_

_I’m gonna die. I’m on the verge- I’m on the verge of- virge- vir-_

“-gil! Virgil, you gotta breathe! Oh goodness gracious, you gotta breathe. Please, Virgil!”

_That… that voice._

_I know that voice._

_That’s the voice… that’s the one._

“Virgil! Come on, kiddo, you gotta take deep breaths. It’s okay.”

_“It’s okay.”_

“Nothing’s going to hurt you.”

_“No one’s going to hurt you.”_

“You’re safe now.”

_“You’re safe. I promise.”_

“I promise.”

Virgil's mind started to latch onto Patton’s voice. He sucked in more oxygen than air, and his mind started to wind down. Thoughts that once spiraled reached the end of their downward slide. 

All because of Patton’s voice.

“That’s it,” Patton whispered, his own eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “You’re doing great, Virgil. Keep it up.”

Virgil’s eyes focused on Patton’s face, ever so gentle and supportive, ever so kind, ever so merciful. His whole body slumped against the wall, exhaustion taking over. He wiped the tears from his eyes. He didn’t remember crying, but judging by how wet his cloak was, he cried pretty hard.

“There, you okay?” Patton asked, his smile a beacon of hope.

Virgil sniffled and responded, “Y-yeah, I think… I think I’m okay.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Patton replied. He relaxed into his spot in the bed and let out a long breath. “You really scared me there.”

“Sorry,” Virgil mumbled.

“It’s okay. I was just… I’ve never had to watch someone have a panic attack then couldn’t help them through it, you know?”

“Panic attack?” Virgil asked.

“Yeah, it’s when, uh, your mind has a really negative reaction to something, like a word or an object or a thing, that kinda… hurt you really bad in the past.”

Virgil snorted. “Well, that sounds accurate.”

“Do you know what started it?”

Virgil scratched his sleeve. “I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“That’s okay. You don’t have to,” Patton sighed and added, “but if you ever want to talk about it, I’ll listen.”

The edge of Virgil’s lips perked up into a smile. “Thanks, Patton.”

“Hey, what are friends for?”

“Friends?” Virgil blinked. “I barely know you.”

Patton paused, and his voice held that sheepish high pitch to it again as he spoke, “Well, yeah, I know. I just thought… well, I thought it’d be nice to be… friends, since I know your name now.”

Virgil studied the human. Was Patton for real? Were humans actually that trusting of strangers, or was Patton just that stupid? Though, with the way Patton greeted him when they first met, Virgil wouldn’t put it past Patton to get into stupid situations with people who were out to hurt him.

Maybe that’s how Patton got captured by his brother.

“I guess if you want to call us friends,” Virgil grumbled. “Just don’t think I think you’re a friend.”

“Oh, of course,” Patton replied with a polite smile.

“Yeah, so,” Virgil turned and faced the window, “I should probably get home before my brother realizes I’m not home.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble or anything.”

Virgil started climbing out the window. “So, bye.”

“Wait,” Patton called out. “Will I see you again?”

Virgil shrugged and hummed an 'I don’t know' answer.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind.”

Virgil studied Patton for any sort of insincerity. He sighed through his nose and shook his head. “Well then, I guess I could try.”

“Great! Um, see you around, Virgil.”

Virgil grinned, and he mumbled back a quick, “See you around, Patton," before jumping out the window and taking flight into the starry night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton is still optimistic he can convince Deceit to let him go. It goes pretty well until it doesn’t. Patton starts to learn this may not just be about keeping the peace treaty from going through, and escaping is going to be a lot harder than he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: fear of dying (don’t worry, no one is going to die), forced captivity, physical punishment for anger, crying, yelling, hunger pains, mentions of starvation, eating  
> Word Count: 3,363

The sun woke Patton and chased the chill off his skin. He took a deep wakeful breath in and did his best to stretch under his restraints. His muscles stopped hurting a long time ago, but Patton predicted he just ignored the stiffness now. His throat begged for a glass of water. With all the crying he did, it was a wonder he wasn’t dehydrated. He probably was but didn’t notice.

A bird’s chirp sang outside his window. Patton blinked the sleep out of his eyes. The window Virgil left open invited a bird to sit on its windowsill. The small bird hopped back and forth as it watched Patton, its beak popping open every once and a while to let out a shrill chirp.

“Hello,” Patton greeted the bird.

The bird tilted its head to the side. It fluffed its red and black feathers and continued to chirp. It brought a natural smile to Patton’s lips, and he let out a long sigh.

“Ya know, this is going to sound really silly, but you remind me of someone,” Patton continued.

His mind drifted to Roman. Oh, his brave, loving Roman. His prince charming must be heartbroken. Was Roman laying in bed and wondering what became of Patton? Was he chasing Deceit down to avenge the lover stolen from under his nose? Knowing Roman, probably the latter one, but Thomas was always so protective of his younger brother. He wouldn’t let Roman go far. Not in his condition.

Patton watched the tiny creature hop around for a few more minutes. It stretched its wings and flapped a few times before disappearing into the morning air.

“Oh, okay. Bye then,” Patton said with a sigh. He really should be used to being visited then left alone for hours on end.

Would Deceit come back for him? Patton almost hoped he wouldn’t. After his run-in yesterday, he didn’t want to see Deceit again. Memories caught in Patton’s throat, and he swallowed them back down. Part of him wanted Deceit to kill him and stop torturing him like this, and the other was hopeful that he could break through Deceit’s wall and return home. Everyone had a choice, after all. Deceit seemed like he didn’t want to do this, so maybe Patton could help steer his morality in the right direction. 

Then there was Virgil, the strange Dragonborn that he met last night. Patton wondered just what he said to make Virgil react so badly last night. It must’ve had something to do with Roman, but he didn’t know what. Did Virgil and Roman meet in the past? Would Virgil return to talk to Patton again? What was he even doing here to begin with?

So many questions. So little answers.

Patton’s stomach growled so hard it hurt. He clenched all his muscles and eased himself through the pain. Soon, his stomach left him alone too, and Patton let out a low whine.

He was so hungry he’d eat asparagus. The thought made him shudder. Okay, maybe he wasn’t that desperate yet, but he was close.

Soft wing flaps outside turned into strong gusts, and Patton turned his head. He squinted as the sun shone in his eyes. A shadow settled over him for a moment, allowing him to see shimmering golden and green scales.

He shuddered. Deceit was back.

Patton held his breath. He heard the door to the second-floor open. He heard Deceit pause downstairs, as he usually did. He heard the telltale footsteps up the staircase. He took a deep breath in and out.

Showtime.

The door unlocked, and Deceit’s familiar face poked into the room. Patton offered his polite smile. Deceit didn’t acknowledge it and instead shut the door behind him.

“Stars above it’s cold in here,” he mumbled as he shivered.

“Oh? Didn’t notice,” Patton replied. 

Deceit rubbed his clothed arms and spied the open window. He furrowed his brow and asked, “How did that get open?”

“Must’ve been the wind,” Patton lied.

Deceit inspected Patton from a distance, his eyes settling rather long on the bonds around Patton’s limbs. He approached to get a closer look.

“Wow, you stink,” Deceit mumbled.

“Well, that’s what happens when you can’t leave your bed for three days.”

Deceit eyed Patton for a moment and squinted. Patton batted his eyelashes, and Deceit rolled his eyes. He moved away from Patton to close the window. It wouldn’t move at first, but soon he slammed it closed a little harder than necessary. Dust puffed into the air, and Deceit sneezed.

“Blessed health,” Patton mumbled.

“Thanks,” Deceit replied. He plopped down into the chair by the fireplace and stared into it for a while. 

Patton swallowed and let his head rest back on his pillow. At least he didn’t have to worry about Deceit killing him right now. Maybe it was too early to call, but he was hopeful. 

Patton’s stomach cramped again, and he let out a low whine. It caught Deceit’s attention, who turned in his seat to give Patton a hard look. The growl shook his whole stomach, and Patton let out a long breath. Deceit’s face softened, and he turned back into his seat.

“Guess you’re hungry, huh?” Deceit asked.

“Just a little bit.”

Deceit responded with a hum. The banana peel from their second meeting still lay unburned in the fireplace, and Deceit stood up.

“I’ll be back,” Deceit mumbled.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere,” Patton replied.

The comment made a small smirk appear on Deceit’s face, and he left the house to once again leave Patton in peace. For a moment, Patton’s heart started to swell with the hope of getting food. It shouldn’t be his top priority, but he couldn’t care less right now.

Sometime soon after, Deceit returned to the house, and Patton’s eyes widened. Deceit carried at least twenty bananas in his arms. Deceit shut the door with his foot and put the fruit on the table.

“I know it’s not much, but it’s something,” Deceit mumbled. “I don’t really know what else to feed you, so-”

“It’s perfect,” Patton whispered.

Deceit looked over his shoulder, his brown eye studying Patton for a moment. He pulled a banana off the bushel he brought and sat on the edge of Patton’s bed. His claw easily sliced the peel open, and he held it out for Patton to take a bite.

It wasn’t ripe yet, but Patton couldn’t care less. The sensation was almost too much to handle. Tears sprung to his eyes, and he blinked them away.

Deceit watched the interaction with studying eyes. Patton was used to such attention, but it almost felt weird to be watched while he ate like some kind of pet. Before he knew it, the banana was gone, and Deceit stood to get another one.

“How many of these do you eat at a time?” Deceit asked.

“Uh, usually one, but that’s because they’re so rare back home.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right,” Deceit mumbled. He sliced open another banana and sat back in his spot. Patton ate it much slower this time, and Deceit didn’t watch him as hard as before. Halfway through the banana, Patton stopped eating. Deceit turned to see what was wrong, and he met watery brown eyes. Deceit’s heart beat fast. “Hey, are you okay? You’re not choking or anything are you?”

Patton shook his head and looked away. Deceit brought the banana back onto his lap and waited for Patton to respond with anything, but only silence answered.

“What?” Deceit continued, his voice growing more annoyed, “What’s wrong? Is it the banana? Was it rotten or something? You gotta tell me these things, because I don’t understand fruit, so-”

“It’s not that,” Patton whispered so low that Deceit had to strain his ears to hear him.

“Then what?” Deceit yelled and threw his hands up in the air. “What’s wrong?”

Patton sniffled. Well, at least he was breathing. He sniffled again, and Deceit noticed the water lining Patton’s eyes. He put his head in his hands.

“Wow, okay, you’re crying again,” Deceit grumbled.

“Can you blame me?” Patton asked and let out a humorless laugh. “I’m surprised I have any tears left. I haven’t had anything to drink for three days.”

“So?” 

“So? What do you mean, so?”

“So! So why is that my problem?”

“It’s not.”

“Then why-” Deceit grabbed his hair. “God, my brother doesn’t even complain as much as you do.”

“When did I complain?” Patton asked. He turned his head back to Deceit, his eyes burning with anger instead of wet with tears. “Was it while being stolen from my home? Or maybe it was when you locked me here. Maybe it was being left alone for three days and starved. Or, who could forget how you almost choked and killed me yesterday! Is this fun for you or something? First, you're mean, then you’re nice, then you’re mean again. I don’t understand. I’m frustrated, I’m cold, I’m starving, and I want to go home because, for some reason, you’re keeping me alive like I’m some pet. Do you like taking care of me? What’s really going on?”

Deceit rose to his feet. He balled his hands into fists and let out a loud growl through his teeth. Patton closed his mouth with an audible click. His eyes widened with fear, and he started to shake. Deceit stomped out of the room and down the stairs, leaving the door fully open.

Patton laid there on the bed. What did he go and say that for? Why did he have to make Deceit mad? The banana that Deceit fed him lay half-eaten on the bed and just out of reach of his fingertips, but his stomach hurt more with dread than hunger.

It could’ve been an hour. It could’ve been five minutes. However, Deceit’s footsteps stormed up the stairs once again. Patton started shaking all over again. Deceit’s shadow haunted the wall like a demon, and soon his figure blocked the door. He stormed toward Patton, a wooden bucket in his hand, and stood at his bedside.

Without a word, Deceit dumped a bucket full of cold water over Patton’s face.

Patton scrunched up his nose, but not fast enough to stop water from getting into his lungs. He turned his head into his now soggy pillow and coughed a few times. He squinted through his water dropped glasses.

“What-”

“Let’s get something straight here,” Deceit growled. He threw the bucket over Patton’s head and at the far wall. It let out a hollowed cry and tumbled to the floor. Patton winced at the hurt sound. When he turned his head back, Deceit’s face hovered a breath away. Patton let out a strained whimper.

Deceit’s voice was low with reserved anger as he continued, “I am not here to take care of you. I’m not some prison guard you’re charming to get out of your cell. I’m torturing you, and I’m damn aware of everything I’m doing. I’m not your friend, and it’s not my responsibility to keep you alive.”

“Then why are you?” Patton questioned.

“I’m waiting.”

Patton blinked his surprise away. He watched Deceit walk to the window, his hands folded behind his back. Patton studied Deceit’s stiff form as it blocked out the only warmth in the room. Goosebumps rose on Patton’s damp skin.

“What do you mean?” his voice searched slowly for an answer.

“No doubt Roman doesn’t believe you’re dead,” Deceit mumbled. Patton’s heart pounded with each new sentence as Deceit followed up with, “No doubt he’s probably on a boat right now and searching for you. Eventually, he’s going to find this island, and when he does…”

Deceit turned, his eyes narrowed. His once slit yellow eye was swallowed by its swollen, dark pupil.

Patton’s mouth opened to take in a shuddering breath. “You wouldn’t-”

“Wouldn’t I?” Deceit snorted. “Wouldn’t I kill the only reason I’m on this starforsaken island with no other Dragonborn? Roman took everything from me. Why do you think I took the job in the first place?”

“I know the Kingdom of Creativia treated Dragonborn bad in the past, but Roman isn’t the ruler, and King Thomas is nowhere as near as cruel as his father.”

“They’re still his children! They can try to change all they want, but I know them for what they truly are. They’re monsters! They say they want peace and equality, then they rope up all your relatives and-” Deceit’s voice caught. He cleared his throat, “they don’t care about anything but power.”

“That’s not true.”

“It’s not? Look at what they’re doing to you!” Deceit snapped. “I thought you Moralites had enough sense to stay away from Creativians, but here I find you making peace with them? Whatever happened to fighting for the right thing? Whatever happened to you making Creativia back down when they tried to conquer you? I… I admired you all. I thought if there was anyone who could bring that kingdom to their knees, it would’ve been you. And now, now you’re making up peace treaties and marrying their youngest prince and everything is just fine and dandy again?”

Patton opened his mouth to answer, but he closed it soon after. No matter what, he couldn’t look away from Deceit. It hurt him to hear those words for some reason. Deceit studied Patton for a reaction, but the longer he waited, the more frustrated he became. He started pacing the floor once again, his eyes following his feet. Every once and a while, they’d flicker up to Patton, but they never stayed long. Patton gathered up his thoughts and a huge breath of air.

Patton answered at last, “It’s not.”

“What? Not like that? Because from where I’m standing, it very much is. I thought I was the liar here.”

“No, I mean, what they did. It’s not okay. It wasn’t okay then either.” Patton took a deep breath. “When I was little, my dad was furious that Creativia treated their people the way they did, and when they tried to conquer us, my dad fought back and put them in their place. He and I, we would go to Creativia a lot to watch over them and their rule.”

Deceit stopped pacing and stood at the bottom of Patton’s bed. He looked neither relieved nor angry that Patton spoke, but he definitely had a wary scowl on his face.

Patton continued, “I was twelve, the first time I met Roman and Thomas. And when I spoke to Thomas, I couldn’t believe he and his dad were related. He was so grown up, so much like his mother. And my father saw potential in showing him the right way to rule the kingdom. Thomas’s father was furious, but my father could remove him from power whenever he wanted to, and the king knew it. He let my dad coach Thomas, and while I was there, I was to keep Roman from doing anything… stupid.”

“Oh yes, and you did such a good job,” Deceit snarked.

“I tried,” Patton replied, “but Roman, he loved his dad. He was into being a big strong knight and saving people and being well known and well-liked and… and he romanticized being royalty so much that he didn’t realize what harm it was doing.”

“Is that what you call it?” Deceit rolled his eyes.

Patton scowled, his patience wavering, but he kept his tone even. “Roman’s grown a lot over the past few years. He’s not that loud fourteen-year-old I met. He’s kinder now, and he listens more. He’s actually looking out for people instead of just ruling them. If you’d just give him a chance-”

“I did give him a chance,” Deceit growled and narrowed his eyes. “We gave him a chance, and he nearly killed… me.”

“Yeah, I know all about the dragon hunts, but they don’t do that anymore. My father ordered them to put a stop to it or there’d be consequences.”

“Too bad you were five years too late.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“You. Your family. Everything they put you through. I don’t… I don’t think you’re a bad person, Deceit. I think you had some bad stuff happen to you, and you’re hurt, and you’re lashing out in the only way you know how.” Patton left out the part he wanted to say about it still not being right. “But I think you can do the right thing, even after all this.”

“You’re really into redeemable villains, huh?” Deceit asked with an arched brow.

“More like redeemable antagonists,” Patton clarified.

Deceit snorted and shook his head. He took a deep breath and raked his claws through his hair. He walked over to Patton and pushed soaked hair out of Patton’s eyes. Patton sent a grateful smile, and Deceit almost returned it. 

Deceit sighed and looked at the mess he’d made. Patton now had to lay in a soaked bed in soaked clothes, and it was all because he lost his temper. Not to mention, Patton’s wrists (if they weren’t already) were going to chafe under those leather straps and become really uncomfortable.

He could… he could let Patton up. Just for a little while. Just long enough for everything to dry. Or, he could just light the fire and hope everything dried off. Who knew if Patton would try to get away while he was untied, and while they were still on a deserted island with no hope of a boat getting out past the reef, Patton was probably stupid enough to try it.

Deceit picked the latter option. He left the house, gathered a few more sticks, and loaded them into the fireplace. He breathed a spark of life into the fireplace and poked it with his claws. The sticks started to burn nice and toasty warm, and he absorbed as much heat as he could.

He mumbled. “I didn’t… my temper sometimes… I’m sorry.”

Patton blinked his surprise away as if he didn’t think he heard the words right but didn’t want to be rude and ask. Deceit did smirk at that.

“Hope this makes up for something at least,” Deceit added. He turned toward the door one last time. “I’ll be back later to make sure the house didn’t burn down with you in it.”

“Alright,” Patton mumbled back. He weakly waved his right hand, though with his wrist restrained, it didn’t wave for very long. “See you later.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Deceit grumbled. He shut the door to Patton’s room to keep the heat in and exited the house.

The flight home was quiet on his part. He couldn’t stop thinking about Patton and what he said. No matter what, he couldn’t forgive the Creativian royalty for what they did, even if they changed. He didn’t want to. He wasn’t going to.

And when Roman eventually arrived on the island, he’d take delight in watching Roman’s eyes widen in horror as Deceit murdered the love of his life in front of his eyes, just like Roman’s father did all those years ago to his father.

If Roman ever made it to the island. 

Stars above he hoped Roman never made it to the island.

Deceit opened the door to his house and called out, “I’m home!”

His brother sat at the table, his feet propped up on the wood and a lopsided smirk on his face.

“How’d your morning go, Deceit?”

“Eh, it was boring, as per usual,” Deceit grumbled. “Nothing really caught my interest, and I almost got a fox for breakfast, but-”

Wait.

Deceit’s eyes widened, and he turned back to his brother. The younger Dragonborn’s grin turned into a grimace, and he narrowed his eyes.

Deceit swallowed and scrunched his eyes up, “Deceit? Who’s she? Never heard of her.”

“Cut the crap. I went back and got a better look at the house last night. Did you really think I’d just ignore whatever you had in there?”

Deceit thought about the open window and cringed. “Oh.”

“Yeah, “oh” is right. Now, what are you doing to Patton? And I want the truth this time.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Roman isn’t going to come to Patton’s rescue anytime soon, Virgil sure is. The problem is, Patton doesn’t want to be rescued anymore. He just wants to escape. But, how does someone escape when they’re on an island in the middle of nowhere? Patton can’t bear any more bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: fighting, injury description, arguments, let me know if there’s anything else c:  
> Word Count: 3,296

The last thing Patton expected was to hear feet pounding up his stairs. Oh wait, not one pair of footsteps, but two. Maybe more? He couldn’t tell. His heart pounded. Was someone finally here to rescue him? Was it Roman? Oh god, he hoped it was Roman-

Virgil threw his bedroom door open, his face contorted in anger and nostrils flared. Patton was sure he saw smoke coming out of them. Virgil caught sight of Patton, and his expression softened a small bit.

Deceit poked his head over Virgil’s shoulder. From this angle, Patton couldn’t see much of Deceit’s face but his eyes held uncertainty and worry. Patton almost wanted to ask him what was wrong.

“Sup,” Virgil greeted as he stepped into the room. He grabbed Deceit’s arm rather roughly and pulled him in.

“Hey, easy there, kiddo. Don’t hurt him,” Patton warned.

Virgil let out a humorless laugh and turned back to Deceit. He growled, “Even after everything you did to him, he’s still defending you. I can’t believe this.”

“Deceit, what’s going on?” Patton asked.

Deceit wouldn't look at him. In fact, he found the cracks in the floor rather interesting and studied them like his life depended on it. Virgil gave Deceit a rough shake, and Deceit turned to him with a tooth-bared hiss. Virgil hissed right back. 

For a moment, the two of them stared at each other like two cats on the street.

“Apologize,” Virgil growled.

“There’s not an apology in any of our languages that’ll make up for this,” Deceit remarked.

“Exactly, so you better get started now.”

“Oh yes-” Deceit turned his head to Patton- “so sorry, Patton-” back to Virgil- “because that made everything better.”

Virgil shoved. Deceit tumbled backward into the chair by the fireplace, which still blazed. Virgil huffed then walked over to Patton. Patton wasn’t sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t Virgil unbuckling the strap around his right wrist.

Deceit sat up and yelled, “What are you-”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Virgil asked. He finished unbuckling Patton’s wrist.

Patton’s right hand felt like it went into the fireplace. He let out a soft gasp as his wrist started to pound so hard it hurt. He gave a test wiggle to his fingers. Then, slowly, he brought his arm up to examine the damage. Red lines carved into his skin, and the skin underneath the belts peeled and held a pink hue. It wasn’t as bad as Patton was expecting, but it still wasn’t pretty to look at.

Virgil leaped straight over the bed to Patton’s other side. He started working at the strap around Patton’s left wrist. Deceit, who recovered from his shock, stormed over to Virgil and pulled his hands away.

“Stop that!” Deceit yelled.

Virgil turned to him with a sharp glare and teeth bared. He yanked his hands out of Deceit’s grasp. Deceit reached out again to grab onto Virgil’s hands. Virgil lifted a foot and kicked. Deceit tumbled backward onto the floor and slid across the smooth surface.

Patton half sat up from his spot on the bed and watched Deceit like a hawk. The older Dragonborn didn’t get up right away, and Patton worried Virgil hurt him. His attention flashed to Virgil, who started working on Patton's left wrist again. It was released in no time and mirrored the right wrist.

“There,” Virgil grumbled. “Now you can at least sit up.”

Virgil started working on one of Patton’s leg restraints. Patton wobbled as he fully sat up, his muscles stiff from misuse. He worked on his other leg to help Virgil out. 

Deceit sat up with a groan. He looked ready to fight again, but Virgil’s sharp glare warned him to stay put. He unbuckled Patton’s leg and waited for Patton’s trembling fingers to do the same to the other one.

For the first time in three days, Patton was free. Well, a little more free than before.

“Stars above you’re freezing,” Virgil murmured as his fingers brushed Patton’s arm. He scooped Patton up bridal style and started walking to the door.

“Where are you going?” Deceit asked.

“I’m getting him into the sun to warm up and maybe dry off a little,” Virgil replied.

“You can’t take him outside!” Deceit snapped. He stood on his feet.

“Watch me.”

Deceit growled something- which Patton guessed was Virgil’s true name- and lashed out at them. Virgil hurried to the door. He shut it right in his brother’s face. Before Deceit could open it, he locked it and pulled the key from the lock.

“Did you just-” the door handle twisted- “open this door right now!”

“Fat chance,” Virgil mumbled. He descended the stairs, and Deceit yelled his name over and over as he clawed and scratched and kicked at the door.

As Virgil reached the front door, Patton’s body started to shake with excitement. Free. Oh god, he was almost free! All he had to do was run off while he was out with Virgil, and-

The door opened, and Patton blinked the sun out of his eyes. He pressed his face against Virgil’s chest and whined. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Virgil’s gentle voice spoke to him. "You're safe."

Patton, ever so slowly, peeked out of Virgi’s clothing. The sky was just as blue as his family’s crest, and puffy white clouds hung in the sky. Trees too green to be real surrounded the house and stood taller than the buildings back home. Mountains hugged the treeline. A few birds flew overhead and sang the song of paradise. The tall grass danced in the light breeze. The sun warmed his skin.

“Can you,” Patton gazed up at Virgil, “can you put me down, please?”

Virgil hesitated for a moment. He took a deep breath and checked to make sure Deceit didn’t escape from the house yet. Painfully slow, he set Patton’s feet down in the grass.

Patton took one step, and his feet fell out from underneath him. He landed in the grass on his hands and knees with a startled cry. Virgil hovered over him and picked him up by the armpits.

“Hey, you okay?” Virgil asked. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

Patton shook his head as frustrated tears lined his eyes. He couldn’t run away. He couldn’t even walk. The three days of bedrest messed up his balance and muscles too much like his legs forgot how to move.

With the height difference between him and Virgil, Patton felt like a small child learning how to walk. Virgil towered at least two heads above him. Patton pushed his head all the way up to gaze into Virgil’s eyes. Virgil’s face lined with worry, and his eyes shifted all over Patton’s body to make sure he was okay. Patton tried to send a reassuring smile.

“You sure you're okay?” Virgil asked. “You’re crying.”

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Patton answered and brushed his tears away. “Just a bit sore from not moving in so long.”

Virgil let out a low sigh, his throat growling a little as he did so. He sat down in the grass and pulled Patton down with him like a ragdoll. He manhandled Patton until he sat between Virgil’s legs and cradled Patton’s chest with his arms.

Patton wanted to push out of Virgil’s grasp, but Virgil held him way too tight. There was no way he’d even be able to. Instead, he shifted a bit to get more comfortable. Virgil must’ve sensed his discomfort because his arms released Patton and held his own weight up instead.

“Thanks,” Patton mumbled.

“As someone who isn’t a hugger, I get it,” Virgil replied back.

Patton, against his better judgment, leaned back against Virgil’s chest. He could feel Virgil’s heavy heartbeat below him, and Virgil’s breaths were uneven and stressed. With his right hand, he gave two gentle pats to Virgil’s thigh. He sent a small smile up at the large Dragonborn. Virgil returned it with his own lopsided grin.

For a few seconds, they sat in the peace of the sunshine.

A window opened in the house, and Virgil growled something under his breath Patton couldn’t understand. Deceit’s head poked out of the second-story window. He struggled to pull himself out of the window then dove headfirst into the grass. Like a cat, he twisted his body and landed on his feet.

Deceit started growling and hissing, and Virgil did the same. Patton pressed into Virgil’s stomach. He didn’t know what they were saying, but he could feel how angry they were. Virgil picked Patton up and set him off to the side. He stood and stormed toward Deceit.

While Deceit was more muscular than Virgil, Virgil had a small height advantage. He pounded a hand on Deceit’s chest to stop Deceit from advancing. Deceit roared. Both his hands reached up and gave Virgil a shove. Virgil staggered backward. Deceit charged and tackled Virgil around the middle. The two of them tumbled into the grass, clawing and hissing and biting.

Virgil flipped Deceit onto his back and let out a long hiss. Deceit wiggled for a moment before he went still. He spit something at Virgil, which caused Virgil to whine and rub it away with a hand. Then Deceit stood up and banged their heads together. Virgil yelled out and cradled his head. Deceit took that as an opportunity and rolled Virgil off of him. Virgil tumbled in the grass.

Deceit turned toward Patton. He froze.

“Where’d he go?” Deceit yelled. He scrambled to his feet.

“Hopefully as far away from you as he could go,” Virgil growled back.

Deceit turned back and hissed through his teeth, “This is your fault!”

“My fault? Um, who was the one who locked Patton away in a house like some prince in a tower?”

Deceit turned back toward the woods. Patton couldn’t have gone far. He wasn’t fast. He wasn’t strong. He was practically defenseless on an island with no knowledge of the forest or how it worked and no idea how to get home or what to avoid or how to stay alive against animals that could very much kill him in the blink of an eye.

“If he dies, I’m blaming you,” Deceit mumbled.

Deceit smelled the air and barely caught Patton’s scent. He pushed through bushes and tree limbs to enter the forest. Why did he dump that bucket on Patton? The water washed away the smell Deceit grew used to, and this new scent blended in well with the area around them.

“Oh, yeah, like you weren’t going to kill him anyway. This should make your job easier,” Virgil snarked back.

Deceit turned his head to retort, but he changed his mind at the last minute and continued to storm through the trees.

“Patton!” He yelled out. Virgil joined him, and their voices echoed throughout the woods. Animals scurried away in fear of the noise. Tree branches snapped under their weight. Deceit kept smelling the air, but Patton’s scent wasn’t anywhere. How did he just disappear like that?

Deceit searched the entire area with his eyes, and a low growl rumbled in his throat. He jabbed a finger into Virgil’s chest and hissed, “If he’s hurt-”

“Don’t you go threatening me,” Virgil hissed back. “None of this would’ve happened if you just let Patton alone in the first place.”

“And if I didn’t, he’d be dead by now.”

“No, you don’t get to play savior. You treated him like garbage! You dumped water on him and made him lay there. Did you even let him up to pee? Did you even think that maybe strapping him to a bed in a house that was already locked was a bad idea?”

“And if he got out? Look at how easily you broke in.”

“He’s a human, you idiot! He can’t jump out of a two-story window!”

“He could try.”

“Yeah, and maybe break his neck in the process. He’s not that stupid.”

“How would you know? You just met him last night.”

Virgil looked like he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself mid breath. He instead let out a low hiss and went in a different direction. “I’ll look over here. You go over there and pray that Patton didn’t fall into any traps.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Deceit hissed back. He stomped off into the woods, and Virgil did the same in the opposite direction. 

The forest settled into silence. No wind shushed the trees. No animals spoke a word. Nothing.

At least, not until someone started climbing down one of the trees.

Patton landed in the grass on his feet, but his knees lost support, and he fell onto his hands and knees with a light grunt. Thank goodness he had all that practice climbing trees to pick apples. He stood and straightened out his clothes.

Free. He was free at last.

Patton carefully made his way through the woods as far away from both Virgil and Deceit as he could get. The sun dried his once soaked clothes after his long exposure, and he could feel the wrinkles working their way out of his skin. His hair still stuck up in different directions, but without a comb, he couldn’t do much about that. His legs started to work better after the light exercising, and his knees didn’t wobble so much.

The sound of running water caught Patton’s attention. He didn’t want to get wet again, but the hope of fish being somewhere in the water made his mouth water. He traveled through the trees and stopped at the edge of a gentle river.

Patton cupped his hands and took a drink. The cool water almost burned his throat. He soaked it in like a dry sponge. Reach in, gather water, drink, repeat. He must’ve taken ten handfuls of water before his throat started to moisten. Still, he continued to drink. He was more thirsty than he thought. After his stomach started to hurt, Patton stopped and took deep breaths.

From his reflection, Patton could see how tired he looked. His eyes had sunken in, red and puffy their default state after so much crying. His hair was even wilder than he thought. He smoothed it down with his hands, but it sprung back into its mangled place. Patton laughed. If only Roman could see how he looked right now.

Roman.

He had to get home to Roman.

Patton followed the water with his eyes. Running water usually lead to the ocean, right? If he followed it, he might find the ocean. Finding the ocean meant he could make some sort of raft and get off the island. In which direction he’d go, he didn’t know but anywhere was better than all the way out here on his own.

The water’s pathway took him through thick brush. Patton noticed the farther he walked down the river’s bed, the faster the water traveled. He picked up his pace. Rushing water turned into rapids. It roared and threw water over rocks in its fury.

The earth crumbled under Patton’s feet, and he took a step back. His eyes traveled down the river until it disappeared over an edge. Patton gulped. He walked to the edge of a cliff.

The land he stood on dropped several stories and lead do a magnificent valley. Another forest lay below him and looked like toy trees. The sun illuminated a protected place surrounded by high rocks and mountains. From here, Patton could see the ocean splashing onto the beach. He could also see a dangerous storm hanging off the reef’s edge, its furious thunder almost drowned out by the river’s roar.

Patton took a deep breath. Now what? He sighed and sat down in the grass. His legs were too tired to climb down the mountainside right now, and the sun was close to setting. He would never make it down before nightfall. And besides, once he made it down, he was in unfamiliar territory. How would he see to keep going?

The afternoon’s chilly air caused Patton to shiver. He rubbed warmth back into his arms. Only now did he realize it was almost late at night and he had no shelter. He could try to find a cave, but who knew what lived inside. This island was a complete mystery to him. He didn’t recognize any of the plants or animals he came across.

Why did he think running away was a good idea again?

For a moment, Patton considered turning back. The last place Virgil and Deceit would look would be the house, because why would Patton want to return there? It might be the perfect hiding spot. At least, until Patton could figure out something else.

Sticks snapped behind him. Patton scrambled to his feet and watched the brush with fear. He held his breath, and the forest did the same.

“D-Deceit?” he called out. Experimental. Not hopeful. “Virgil? K-kiddo, is that you?”

Patton couldn’t see it, but he knew something was watching him. His skin crawled, and he swallowed his fear back down his throat. Maybe it was his imagination. Maybe there wasn’t anything there after all.

Patton inhaled, and he opened his mouth to speak again, “Hey, is someone there? I… I could use some help.”

Nothing answered back. Not even the birds made noise anymore.

Patton nervously laughed, and he rubbed his arms. He glanced behind him. The cliff warned him that he was cornered should something pop out of the trees, and he decided to follow the river back to safer land. His footsteps shushled in the grass.

No matter how far he walked, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching him.

“Okay, it’s all fine,” Patton whispered to himself. “You’re just paranoid and hungry. If you get something to eat, maybe you’ll feel better.”

Patton continued forward. He kept his eyes on the trees for any sort of activity. The longer he stared, the more warped the trees became. Maybe that was because the sunset was casting dark shadows. Maybe it’s because Patton’s nerves started to get the better of him. The sky changed from a calming blue to bright fiery orange. Goosebumps rose on Patton’s skin from the evening’s chill.

Another rustle in the trees. Patton stopped and held his breath. He turned his attention to his right and watched.

“There you are!”

Patton’s heart stopped. He snapped his head to the left and spied Deceit standing on the other side of the river. From the distance, Patton could barely make out Deceit’s anger. Deceit’s hands clenched into fists, and he puffed out his chest. 

“Do you have any idea what I went through to find you?” Deceit yelled over the river. Patton tried to shush him, but Deceit continued, “When I get over there, you’re dead, you little shit.”

“Deceit, please,” Patton warned.

“What, you think you can just run off and everything will be fine? Do you know how worried Virgil is?”

“Deceit-”

“I hope you’re happy-”

The bushes behind Patton erupted, and Patton turned his head in time to see a black mass charge at him. He didn’t have enough time to scramble away. A large paw pinned him onto his back. His glasses flew off and landed out of his reach in the grass. Patton’s head ached. He yelped and squinted up at the fuzzy shape in front of him.

Two burning black eyes and rows of teeth grew closer. It looked like the bears from his forest but wrong. Its nose huffed smoke, burning Patton’s eyes and causing them to water. He choked on its sour breath. A growl rumbled through its lips and shook Patton’s entire body.

Patton couldn’t help but scream as it opened its jaws to attack.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Deceit is busy protecting Patton from the monster in the woods, Patton is looking for ways to protect Deceit from being broken in half. It’s going to take some teamwork to get out of this alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: fighting, character being bit by an animal, injury description, blood, threats of forced captivity, description of scars  
> Word Count: 2,836

Sun soaked into the bear-like creature's black fur like a vacuum for light. Soulless dark eyes glared down, and Patton could see his horrified reflection in them. It blew a puff of smoke from its nose, burning Patton's throat and making him cough. It's long claws dug into Patton's chest, not hard enough to pierce the skin, but enough to keep him pinned on his back.

Patton braced himself for the creature's attack. His hands flew to his face and covered his eyes. He heard Deceit yell his name across the river, but he knew Deceit wouldn't make it in time. No one was that fast. 

So, this is how it ended? His only regret was never saying goodbye to Roman.

As quick as the creature's head came down, it reared back. The weight on Patton’s chest lifted. The animal staggered backward with a loud roar and waved its head about. Patton scrambled in the grass to grab his glasses. He shoved them on his face and blinked the fuzziness away.

Deceit dug his claws and teeth into the creature's bare back. It reared up and stood on its hind legs. Patton rolled out of the way as paws pounced and dented the ground he once laid on.

The animal continued to throw its weight around. Deceit still managed to hold on. The animal rolled onto its back, and Deceit let go for the first time. He rolled in the grass. The bear-like creature blew a puff of smoke from its nose and turned its attention back toward Patton. Patton froze. It stalked toward him with drool clinging to its bottom jaw.

A flash of yellow and black raced to Patton's side and pushed him into the ground by the shoulders. Patton blinked as he lay on his back. Deceit towered over Patton on his hands and knees. He faced the creature, his teeth bared, and a loud roar rose through his throat. 

For a moment, the bear-like animal wondered if Patton and Deceit were worth the trouble. It took two steps back and huffed. It must’ve known Deceit could change into something more dangerous, or it wouldn’t bother hesitating.

“Deceit-”

“Shut up.”

Patton gulped, and Deceit watched the animal pace. It blew another puff of smoke, surrounding the area in a thick black fog, and let out a loud warning roar. Deceit returned the noise.

In a flash, the bear charged at them again. Deceit started to shift into his dragon form, but the animal easily pinned him before he got the chance. Stuck halfway between human and dragon, Deceit clawed for the upper hand. The creature bit his shoulder, and Deceit stopped mid-shift. He reverted back to his human form with a cry of pain. The creature tore through flesh and cloth and threw Deceit into a nearby tree. The air left Deceit’s lungs. He collapsed onto the ground and struggled to breathe.

Slowly, the bear-like animal stalked toward Deceit. The Dragonborn shook his shock away and bared his teeth. The animal opened its jaw to snap at him.

“Hey!” Patton swung a large branch and whacked it in the face. The animal reared back and pawed at its muzzle. Patton stood in front of Deceit wielding a branch twice his size. Deceit watched Patton for a moment. He pushed himself to his hands and knees. Patton continued, “Leave him alone, you big bully.”

“Oh yes, Patton, by all means, scold it. That’ll make it stop,” Deceit snarked under his breath.

Patton didn’t acknowledge Deceit’s words. He instead watched the creature as it paced the river’s edge. 

Deceit took this as his opportunity to shift into his dragon form. He towered over the trees as he reared his head back and puffed out his wings. Patton scrambled out of Deceit’s way and clung onto the branch in his arms for dear life.

All it took was one dragon’s roar to make the animal flee deep into the forest.

Patton let out a long sigh. He hummed to himself and mumbled, “Thank goodness.”

Talons latched onto Patton’s shoulders, and in his surprise, he managed to drop the stick. Deceit’s wings carried them both into the air and over the trees. Patton squirmed. Deceit held on tighter.

“You really want me to drop you from up here?” Deceit asked.

Patton opened his mouth to answer, but the large trails of blood rolling down Deceit’s shoulder stopped him. The wound that animal gave Deceit must’ve grown with him because a large gash dented Deceit’s scales. If Deceit wasn’t careful, a wound like that would lose too much blood fast.

The house came into view, and Patton gulped. He started to shake. Deceit dropped him ungracefully in the grass, and Patton landed on his stomach. He pushed himself up as Deceit shifted back into his human form.

Patton’s eyes didn’t leave Deceit’s still torn up shoulder.

“Get in the house,” Deceit growled. Patton took a step back and shook his head. Deceit’s anger flared up again. “No? What do you mean no? Get in the house!”

“Your shoulder-”

“It’ll be fine, no thanks to you.” Deceit stormed toward Patton, and Patton held his ground. Deceit grabbed onto Patton’s wrist so tight it hurt. Patton hissed and struggled to pull away.

“Let me go!”

“Stop whining.” Deceit pulled Patton through the front door. Patton grabbed onto the door frame with his free hand. He clung onto it with all his might. Deceit turned and huffed. “Really? You’re really going to make this difficult?”

“I’m not going back!”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not!”

“For star's sake-” Deceit pulled harder, and Patton yelped but held tight. Deceit then grabbed Patton’s other arm with his free hand and pulled. His shoulder burned. He stopped and bit back the pain. “Let the door frame go!”

“No!”

In one swoop, Deceit grabbed Patton around the waist. He hoisted Patton over his shoulder and carried him backward. Patton lost his grip on the door.

“Deceit, put me down!” Patton kicked and squirmed, but Deceit held firm. 

Deceit climbed the stairs and entered Patton’s room. The fire had stopped burning long ago, but the heat of battle between Deceit and Patton warmed the room. Deceit threw Patton down on the still soaked bed. Patton struggled underneath him. Deceit pinned Patton down by the shoulders. Patton pressed on Deceit’s chest, but Deceit didn’t budge.

“Why do you have to make this so difficult?” Deceit asked.

“Because-” Patton’s pounded his fist found Deceit’s wound. Deceit screamed and collapsed his shoulder onto Patton’s chest. Patton stilled in an instant. Deceit panted heavily to catch his breath. Patton could see the pain on Deceit’s face clearly from his angle. Patton swallowed hard. “Deceit, I’m sorry.”

“Oh save it,” Deceit growled.

“No, really,” Patton argued. “It’s my fault you’re hurt, and I… I didn’t mean to hurt you more.”

Deceit rolled his eyes. "After everything I did, you're still more upset that you got me hurt?" 

"Well, yeah. I didn't want you to get hurt. I just didn't want you to tie me back up."

Deceit watched Patton carefully for a moment. He stood and grabbed his shoulder with his good hand. Patton tested sitting up on the bed, and Deceit made no move to stop him.

With a deep sigh, Deceit shook his head and walked toward the door. “You know what? After everything, I kinda deserved it, so don’t worry about it. Call it karma. Just… I’m going to go find Virgil and tell him you’re alright. Don't do anything stupid.”

Patton sat on his knees. He watched Deceit carefully and chewed on his lips. “Hey, why don’t we get that wound of yours taken care of first, okay kiddo?”

Deceit turned to him and curled his nose. Patton pulled a smile onto his face, and Deceit rolled his eyes. “Why?”

“Well, because I don’t want you to pass out from blood loss for one. And two, I don’t have any blood to give you if you need more. And three, I am a doctor.”

Deceit sighed through his nose. He shook his head and sat back down on the bed. It dipped under his weight, and Patton steadied himself. “Alright, fine, you win. Do your doctor magic stuff.”

Patton swallowed hard and responded, “Uh, I would, but I kinda need to see your shoulder.”

Deceit's eyes watched Patton for sincerity. He let out a long sigh and started untying his caplet. The move hurt his shoulder a bit, but Deceit pushed through the pain. He then started unbuttoning his shirt beneath it. The loss of heat from his black clothing made moving harder. Once he exposed the wound, he turned his attention back to Patton.

A blush rose to Patton’s cheeks, and he studied the mattress below him. His heart pounded, and he willed it to still. Slowly, Patton looked back up at Deceit’s shoulder and took a deep breath in. His hand wobbled as he caressed Deceit’s shoulder with his fingertips. Deceit’s scales felt smooth and cold and very much not like Patton imagined. He swallowed hard.

“Now, this might tickle a little,” Patton said.

Deceit watched Patton with a raised brow. Patton closed his eyes, and he started whispering something under his breath.

“What the hell is this?” Deceit asked. He waited for an answer, but Patton didn’t look ready to give any. His shoulder started to tingle, and he glanced at the wound. He did a double-take.

The wound started to grow smaller and smaller. It pinched together like someone wove a thread between the exposed skin and pulled it taught. Soon, the only things left were white lines and bruised bloody skin. 

Deceit’s jaw opened in shock. Patton pulled his hand back, and Deceit massaged his own shoulder with his fingertips.

“You’re a-” Deceit’s voice cracked, and he swallowed hard. “You’re a healer.”

“I am,” Patton replied with a nod. “I just started learning about three years ago, so I’m not too good yet, but I’m- are you crying?”

“No,” Deceit said as he wiped his eyes with his palm. “I just stared too long is all. My eyes dried out.”

Patton hummed like he really didn’t believe the answer, but he really didn’t want to pry into Deceit’s personal life. After all, they were still practically strangers. He shifted on the bed to a cross-legged position and put his hands on his knees.

“So, you were going to get Virgil?” Patton asked.

Deceit watched Patton for a few seconds before he sighed. He started dressing himself, thankful for the warmth in his black clothes to return.

“I’m sure he’s worried sick about you right now,” Deceit replied, “so yes.”

Patton hummed and responded, “He was really upset when you came back a few hours ago. What did you say to him?”

Deceit shrugged. “I just told him everything that I did to you in the past three days. Apparently, my brother has a heart for strays.”

Patton tilted his head. “Strays?”

“Yeah. Lost animals.”

Patton furrowed his brows, then he realized Deceit was talking about him, and he giggled. “Well, I guess I better not a-stray from his good side.”

“How is it you didn’t know what stray meant five seconds ago but you still managed to make a pun out of it?” Deceit grumbled.

“Just lucky I guess.”

Patton’s beaming smile brought one to Deceit as well. He’d have to stop Patton’s infection before it became irreversible. Deceit stood and headed toward the doorway.

“I’m locking you in. By all means, if you want to escape, try the second story window, but know I won’t be there to save you this time if you get yourself in trouble.”

Patton sighed through his nose and nodded his head. “Okay, safe travels.”

Deceit snorted through his nose. He mocked Patton under his breath and closed the door. The click of the key echoed throughout the room and disappeared as Deceit descended the stairs. He barely made it to the end of the stairs before Virgil burst in through the front door, his chest heaving and hair a mess.

“I saw you flying,” Virgil said through his pants. “Is he okay? Please tell me he’s okay.”

“He’s fine,” Deceit replied. The raise of Virgil’s eyebrow provoked him to continue, “If you don’t believe me, go upstairs and see for yourself.”

Virgil stared at him for a few minutes. He sighed through his nose and asked, “You didn’t tie him up again on that wet bed, did you?”

Deceit snorted through his nose. “Oh yes, because Patton would totally let me do that again.”

Virgil scowled, and Deceit rolled his eyes. Deceit finished descending the stairs and ruffled Virgil’s hair. Virgil squirmed out from under him, a glaring expression crossing his face, and he opened his mouth to snark something no doubt. However, he caught sight of Deceit’s torn clothing and bloody shoulder, and his mouth snapped closed with an audible click. He fumbled through his next few words.

“Your shoulder,” Virgil’s voice cracked.

Deceit put a hand to it. “It’s fine.”

“That’s so not fine!” Virgil threw his hands up in the air. “Let me see.” Virgil pulled on Deceit’s cape, and Deceit pulled away with an angry hiss.

“It’s fine!” Deceit snapped back. 

Virgil growled through his nose. “Don’t play stupid. I can smell that’s your blood. What happened?”

“Oh, nothing too dangerous. I just had a run-in with a smoke bear, nothing I couldn’t handle. Patton on the other hand-”

“Oh god, is he okay? Is he hurt!” Virgil bolted toward the stairs, and Deceit grabbed onto Virgil’s forearm before he could get further. Virgil turned around and flashed his teeth, nearly biting Deceit in the process. “Let go!”

“He’s sleeping,” Deceit harshly whispered, “and he’s fine. If I didn’t find him in time, however, he’d surely be dead.”

Nevermind it was Patton’s heroics that gave Deceit enough time to shift into a dragon. He still had to save Patton from the mess Patton created himself, even if Deceit did make a ton of noise and provoke the otherwise blind creature to attack.

“Oh good. Glad you were there to save him,” Virgil sarcastically said with a roll of his eyes. He shook his head and grumbled, “How do you sleep at night thinking you’re the goddamn hero of this story?”

“I don’t,” Deceit mumbled. 

Virgil snorted through his nose. “You don’t think you’re the hero or you don’t sleep?”

Deceit shrugged. He walked toward the door. Virgil grabbed onto his forearm, studying Deceit’s face for any sign of pain. Deceit turned to him with a raised brow. “Something wrong?”

Virgil studied him for a moment longer. “You’re sure you’re fine?”

“Positive. Now, can we go home? I’m quite exhausted, and I’d like to get some sleep for once.”

Virgil opened his mouth to say something, but he changed his mind mid-thought and shook his head. He followed his brother outside of the house, and the two flew off toward their home. They said their goodnights and went to their separate rooms. 

While Deceit sat on his bed, he could hear Virgil still moving around well after the younger Dragonborn said he’d go to sleep. Both of them were still listening for each other. They were waiting to see who went to see Patton in the middle of the night, but neither of them was caving. Deceit shed his dirty clothes and stood in front of his mirror.

His fingers rubbed over the skin newly healed, his claws tracing the white scar lines of the beast’s jaw. From there, they traveled to long scratches down the front of his body. Deceit could almost feel the other Dragonborn’s claws across his chest. He moved from there to the scar by his hips where he was sliced with a sword by Creativian royalty. The small gash he got from Roman on his leg had scabbed over and was waiting to heal. Deceit stared at his wrists. The bruises from being chained to the floor had long disappeared, but he could still feel their ghost pain.

He really was a mess, wasn’t he?

A heavy sigh pushed him away from his own reflection. He grabbed his nightclothes and slid them on. After, he snuggled under the heated blanket. The warm heat eased his sore muscles, and Deceit sank deep into the bed.

He couldn’t help but wonder if Patton was warm enough. Last he knew, the bed was still wet. Did Patton even have anything to light a fire with if he got too cold? Did he-

No, he had to stop worrying about Patton. Patton was Patton’s problem now. Patton could move freely around the bedroom if he wanted. Patton didn’t have to stay in an uncomfortable bed. In fact, Patton could sleep on the chair by the fireplace if he wanted to.

Deceit let out a contented sigh. For the first time in almost three days, he fell into a somewhat comfortable sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton starts to explore his new home. He comes across some interesting pictures and a lot of dust. When the morning arrives, a very scared Virgil comes looking for his brother, and Patton learns something about Deceit he didn't think he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Nosebleeds, blood mention, mentions of character death  
> Word Count: 3,657

Click. Patton let out a triumphant little “ha” and slowly opened his bedroom door. It only took him an hour to pick the lock. Patton scolded himself for being so loud. After all, Deceit could still be downstairs, just very quiet. Patton crept out the door and peeked around.

The stairs looked like they were dry rotted, and a few were even cracked. Patton wondered just how old they were. He tiptoed down the stairs, pausing each time one made a noise, and slowly circled his way down.

The room below looked rather plain. Patton noticed he left footprints on the floor. Just how long was it since someone set foot in the house? His curiosity got the better of him, and he started to explore. 

The pictures on a wooden mantle caught his attention first. Patton blew the dust off one of them and examined it. The glass was cracked at the edge, but otherwise, it looked okay. The picture inside was- no it couldn’t be. Patton lifted his glasses up. No, it was! It was Deceit. Well, a younger and much smaller Deceit, but still Deceit. He wasn’t posing. In fact, he was sitting on what looked to be an old bed. No- Patton’s bed. Did Deceit use to live here? Did he still live here? If he did, Patton was buying him a broom.

Patton moved onto the next picture. This one was of Virgil and Deceit. The two brothers were standing in a river. Virgil triumphantly held a large salmon fish above his head, and Deceit looked grumpy and wet. Patton giggled. Did Deceit fall in or was he pushed? Patton noted how nice Virgil looked when he smiled. He put the picture back, and he picked up the next one.

These people he didn’t recognize. There was an elderly woman, a man, two kids- a boy and a girl from the looks of it- and a baby. This one was burnt on the edge, and the frame looked like an antique. Patton tilted his head to the side. If he looked hard enough, the woman sort of resembled- Patton gasped. Was that Deceit’s mother? If that was Deceit’s mother, then that was his father, and that- Patton stared a little harder at the boy. It didn’t look like Deceit at all. Perhaps a brother? Maybe Deceit was the baby. Patton cooed at that thought. 

A spider ran past, and Patton screamed. He dropped the picture and cursed. The frame smashed on the floor, shattering glass across the hardwood. Patton searched around frantically for some sort of broom. He found one waiting in the corner and went to work sweeping up the stray glass. Patton sighed as he scooped the glass into the butler. He picked up the picture frame and examined the damage. The frame itself didn’t look busted. Just the glass.

Patton moved on to pick up the picture and turned it over. Something was drawn on the back, something Patton couldn’t understand. They looked like some sort of letters. Was that the language of the Dragonborn? Maybe Deceit or Virgil would tell him what it said.

That was if they were okay with the fact that Patton broke out of his room and smashed a picture.

Patton eyed the door. For a moment, the thought of freedom crossed his mind, but after his adventure earlier, he didn’t feel like going out into the woods again, especially since it was now dark. He’d go early in the morning before Deceit came- if Deceit came- and try to find a way off the island.

For now, maybe he could still explore. 

He spied a few small toys on the shelf and marveled at them. There was a small snowman, a weird looking blue dog, a small mouse, and a bag of marbles that looked like they were made from pink quartz. Patton contemplated taking some out of the bag and entertaining himself, but he thought better of it. He accidentally broke enough stuff for today. For now, he’d leave them abandoned on the shelf.

Another fireplace stood strong against the wall, and a box with pots and pans and other cooking utensils sat beside it. A brick oven stood above the fireplace. Patton thought about making bread, tarts, and pies in the oven, and his stomach growled.

No, what was he thinking? He couldn’t make this place his home. He had to get home to Roman.

Patton eyed the moon shining through the window. He really didn’t want to lay in that bed again, even if it was dry. However, there really was no other choice. Patton sighed. Would he be able to get any sleep on the chair Deceit slept on the first night? No better time to find out.

Slowly, Patton made his way up the spiral staircase again. He closed the door but left it unlocked, and his body collapsed onto the red chair. It felt like a cloud. He snuggled down into it and stared into the unlit fireplace. 

Within moments, Patton was fast asleep.

* * *

The sound of the front door opening woke Patton. He jumped out of the chair and held his breath. Cautious footprints padded below him, much less confident than Deceit’s harsh ones. Patton swallowed. Who was that? Was it the owner of the house? Was it another person who lived on the island?

“Patton?”

Or, it could just be Virgil.

“I’m up here, kiddo,” Patton called out. The footsteps stopped for a moment. They then hurried up toward the stairs. Patton swallowed hard and took a reflexive step back. The door swung open, and Virgil stared at him in panic.

“Are you alright?” Virgil asked, his eyes glancing all over Patton’s body.

“I’m fine,” Patton replied with a gentle smile.

Virgil let out a small breath. “I just- I saw- nevermind. I’m glad you're fine.”

Patton couldn’t help the smile on his face. “Aww, you didn’t have to worry about me.”

“I wasn’t-” Virgil paused- “worried.”

Patton nodded his head in understanding. He watched as Virgil closed the door and studied the wood beneath his claws.

“So, why are you here then?” Patton asked slowly as he folded his hands behind his back. “Were you lonely, or-”

“Deceit didn’t come home yet, so I thought, well I thought maybe he was here.”

“Oh,” Patton replied, the smile on his face falling a bit. “He left here last night with you, didn’t he?”

“Well, yeah, but he usually goes out to catch breakfast then comes home right away,” Virgil answered, “and I thought maybe he was with you.”

Patton scratched his head then shook it. “I’m sorry, kiddo, but I haven’t seen Deceit all morning. I was kinda sleeping.”

Virgil cursed under his breath. He started to pace back and forth, and he mumbled to himself in the Dragonborn language. Every once and a while, Virgil would pause and stare out the window then go back to his pacing. 

Patton rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. “Maybe he’s getting me breakfast?”

Virgil paused. He turned toward Patton and asked, “For five hours?”

Patton sucked in a breath. How long was he asleep?

Virgil scrubbed his hands through his hair and continued, “That’s it. He’s dead somewhere I just know it. Or worse. Or- or-”

“Take some deep breaths, kiddo. We’ll find him.”

Virgil snorted. “Yeah, that’s the part I’m worried about.”

“Okay, how about this? We both go out and go find him together.”

Virgil eyed Patton warily. He blew heavily through his nose and threw his hands up in the air. “Sure, why the heck not. I mean, there are worse plans, right?”

Patton hesitantly nodded.

The two of them walked down the stairs, which protested noisily to their descent, and out into the warm, morning air. Patton took a deep breath. Virgil let out a long sigh.

Patton watched as Virgil’s neck elongated. Purple scales shimmered and grew over his entire body. Patton took a step back as Virgil towered over the house and shook his head like a dog. The shiver ran all the way down to his tail. 

“Wow,” was all Patton could say as he stared up. A small smile, whether out of fear or amazement, pulled across his face.

Virgil lowered his neck, and Patton ran his hands over Virgil’s scales. They felt smooth as silk. Virgil snorted, and a puff of smoke blew out his nostrils. Patton paused. He studied Virgil, who turned his head toward Patton with a sour expression.

“Are you ticklish?” Patton asked. 

Virgil glared at him, and Patton took it as a yes.

“Okay, no tickling. Got it,” Patton said. Virgil seemed satisfied and turned his head. Patton eyed the dragon's neck once again. He put his palms on Virgil’s neck and pushed. It took a few tries, but eventually, he swung his leg over Virgil’s neck. He placed himself between Virgil’s shoulders and gently squeezed Virgil's neck with his thighs to keep his balance. His heart pounded. He was riding an actual dragon.

“Okay, kiddo, I think I’m ready,” Patton announced.

Virgil stretched his wings out. Patton jolted at the sudden sound. Virgil crouched, and with a mighty flap of his wings, took off into the air.

Patton may or may not have screamed. He wrapped his arms around Virgil’s neck and squeezed his eyes closed. His whole body shook. The air flew past him and ruffled his hair, nearly blowing his glasses off his face.

After a few moments, Patton cautiously opened an eye. His bravery got the better of him, and he opened the other.

The ground below him looked like a moving painting. Trees blew in the breeze, and birds flew below them. He could hear the spray of the ocean in the distance, along with some sort of storm off the coast. The sun cast Virgil’s shadow across the land below. 

Patton slowly sat up. He felt Virgil’s back muscles ripple with each flap of his wings. Patton leaned forward to help keep his balance and clasped his hands onto Virgil’s smooth neck scales. He looked up at the clouds. Could he reach up and touch one? Eh, he’ll save that thought for another day.

Virgil let out a choked noise and dove down. Patton screamed. He squeezed his legs around Virgil’s neck to keep himself from falling off.

“Virgil, kiddo, slow down!” Patton cried. His glasses flew off his face, and Patton quickly grabbed onto them. His legs started to slip. 

Virgil’s wings spread out fast, stopping his descent rapidly. Patton slammed face-first into Virgil’s neck. His nose cracked, and Patton yelped. 

“Virgil!” Deceit yelp. “You scared off the fish!”

Virgil rose his head high and let out a long hiss.

“Don’t you sass me. I’m still older than you.”

Smoke poured out of Virgil’s nose and dusted the water, making Deceit cough. He waved his hands around to clear the dark clouds surrounding him. 

Patton groaned as he slid off of Virgil’s neck. Trembling fingers touched the bottom of his nose, and he wasn’t surprised to see them come back crimson.

“Patton?” Deceit questioned from the river. “Virgil, I sure hope you didn’t fly Patton all the way out here on your back.”

Virgil shrunk down to his human size and folded his arms. He opened his mouth to argue.

“It’s okay, kiddo,” Patton said from behind his hand. “I asked to come along.”

“Patton, are you alright?” Virgil asked.

Patton waved him off with his free hand. “Oh, it’s just a nosebleed. Nothing serious.”

“With how reckless Virgil flies, he’s lucky that’s the only thing you hurt.”

“Hey!”

“Please don’t fight,” Patton mumbled. There was a loud crack, and Patton let out a light cry. He brought his hand away from his face. The blood stopped gushing out of his nose, and he walked over to the river to wash off his face and hands.

“Wait are you,” Virgil examined Deceit and choked back a laugh. “Are you… fishing?”

“Oh yes, do keep teasing me.”

Virgil held his stomach as he started to laugh. Deceit stood up straight in the water and stared at Virgil with an unimpressed look. Virgil nearly doubled over and fell onto the ground.

“I can’t- I can’t-” Virgil’s laugh silenced into nothing until he took a deep breath. He then let out a long laugh that shook his whole body.

“My goodness, Virgil, you’re so kind.” Deceit clapped his hands. “Bravo. Best sibling award for you.”

“Why are you fishing?” Patton asked.

Deceit looked away, and he clenched his teeth together. “What? I can’t be hungry for some fresh salmon?”

“Dude, you hate fish,” Virgil responded. “Ever since-”

Deceit sputtered, “Yes, Virgil, it was hilarious. You don’t need to bring the story up again. We’ve all heard it a million times.”

Patton thought back to the picture of Virgil and Deceit fishing, and he hummed. “I didn’t hear the story.”

Virgil turned to him, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Deceit’s face turned red as an apple, and he hid his face behind his hands.

“Don’t,” Deceit warned.

Virgil wiggled his eyebrows, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he rolled up his pants legs, took off his boots, and stood knee-high in the water next to Deceit. His eyes scanned the rippling water.

For a moment, Virgil didn’t move. He stayed concentrated on the water. Deceit crossed his arms and watched Virgil with a bored expression. Patton sat down in the grass, noted how soft it felt under his palms, crossed his legs, and grasped his ankles.

The forest held its breath.

Virgil lunged into the water. Patton jumped and gasped as Virgil’s arms started to shake. He brought his hands up, and clenched in his claws was a large salmon.

“Ta-da,” he said and smirked.

Patton started clapping, and Deceit rolled his eyes.

“Please, it’s not that impressive,” Deceit grumbled.

“Oh yeah, Mr. Splinter?” Virgil said with a raised brow.

Deceit lashed out and shoved Virgil’s shoulders. Virgil yelped as he crashed into the water. The fish escaped his grasp and smacked him in the face with its tail, and he let out a loud growl.

Deceit started to laugh, his shoulders shaking and arms pressed against his stomach. Patton rose to his feet.

“Virgil, are you okay?” Patton asked.

“M’fine,” Virgil grumbled as he glared at Deceit, who hadn’t stopped laughing. Virgil stood up and adjusted his soaking wet jacket.

“Y-y-you should see your face,” Deceit said as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Virgil scowled, then he smirked. He kept eye contact as he said, “Hey, Patton, wanna hear a story?”

Deceit stopped laughing and glared. Virgil rose a brow. With a hiss, Deceit lunged and tackled Virgil in the water. The two went under

Patton yelped. Without taking his shoes off, he jumped into the water, which reached up to the middle of his thighs. The buoyancy in his shoes made it hard to walk, and he ended up losing his balance and falling in as well.

Virgil popped up first, coughing and sputtering. His bangs covered his face. Deceit popped up next and slicked his hair back right away. Virgil pushed his bangs off to both sides of his face. They shared a glare with each other.

“Wait, where’s Patton?” Virgil asked.

Deceit’s eyes widened and he twisted his head around in search.

Patton popped out of the water and coughed. He checked his face to make sure his glasses were still on. Of course they were on. They were spotted with water.

“Are you alright?” Virgil asked.

“ _Water_ you worried about me for? You _dropped_ in first,” Patton said as he wiped his eyes.

“He’s fine,” Deceit grumbled. Virgil snorted.

“Virgil, that was a pretty neat trick,” Patton complimented at last. “Where did you learn to fish like that?”

The mirth between Deceit and Virgil disappeared. They both wouldn’t look at him now, and Patton’s gut dropped. 

Patton continued, “Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Deceit assured him. If Virgil thought differently, he didn’t comment. However, Patton wasn’t buying the lie for a minute. The water kept the silence at bay, and in the distance, a salmon breached the water with its tail. 

Virgil clicked his tongue, and he asked without looking at Deceit, “So, you were fishing because…?”

Deceit sighed through his nose and mumbled something.

Virgil tilted his head. “Oh? What’s that? I don’t think Patton heard-”

“I was trying to catch a fish for Patton,” Deceit snapped. His mouth clicked closed, and he cleared his throat, “You know, for making up for all the wrong things I did.”

Virgil snorted. “And you thought a fish would fix everything?”

“Hey, I’m trying my best here.”

Patton giggled, his shoulders shaking as he did so. The two brothers turned to him and watched as Patton shuffled to the shore. He squeezed out his shirt and shook his hair like a dog. 

“Well, I think it was rather sweet of you, Deceit,” Patton said. He turned over his shoulder and sent a smile.

Deceit lowered into the water, and air bubbles traveled down the river. Virgil watched the words float away with a grin on his face.

Virgil spoke, “So, about breakfast-”

“You get it. I’m done fishing,” Deceit murmured. He traveled to the edge of the river and got out. As he rang out his cloak, he noticed Patton trying to separate a fallen tree branch from a bush. “What are you doing?”

“It’s-” Patton gave a strong tug- “It’s perfect.”

“Perfect for what?” Deceit asked as he walked up behind him. The branch finally pulled free. Patton lost his balance, and he crashed backward into Deceit’s chest. Deceit didn’t budge. Patton held his stick triumphantly in the air, and he examined the end of it.

“Perfect for fishing,” Patton answered.

“Please tell me you’re not serious.”

“Oh, I’m not serious kiddo-”

“Thank the sta-”

“I’m Patton!”

Deceit paused, and Patton sat down in the grass. He searched around for something on the ground, settling on a rock that was smoothed out to a point by the water. Patton started sawing through the edge, making painfully slow progress.

“What are you doing?” Deceit grumbled. He snatched the stick out of Patton’s hands, earning a surprised cry.

“I’m making a spear,” Patton said with a pout. 

Deceit rolled his eyes. “Not with that rock you’re not.” With his claws, Deceit began scraping the stick into a point. He made sure one side of the stick was longer than the other, keeping the hard part of the wood the sturdiest, and examined his work. He handed the stick back to Patton.

“Thanks,” Patton said with a smile. 

Deceit huffed. “Oh please. I just want to see you fail.”

Patton rose his head high and marched over to the water. He took his shoes off this time and stood in the deepest part of the river. Then, like Virgil, he waited.

For at least five minutes, nothing moved.

Deceit stretched and grumbled, “Well, as entertaining as this was-”

Patton cried out and jabbed his stick into the water. His arms shook as he raised the stick above the surface. Flailing at the end of it was a large salmon. Patton proudly preened at his catch, and Virgil gave a low whistle.

“What do you know? He knows how to fish,” Virgil said as he glanced over at Deceit. Deceit didn’t answer with anything but a finger.

“I was taught how to fish when I was little,” Patton replied. “My dad and I used to go out every summer for a week to camp at this lake in the woods. No responsibilities, no rules, just two guys camping in the wilderness.”

Deceit hummed in fake fascination, and he put his hands on his hips. “So, do you cook it first or eat it raw?”

“Both.”

Deceit rose a brow as his jaw dipped in surprise. “I don’t believe you.”

Patton grimaced. With a growl, he bit into the fish. Virgil let out a long “yo” as Patton ate a chunk of fish. Deceit’s jaw dropped even farther.

“I wasn’t serious,” Deceit sputtered.

Patton swallowed the fish in his mouth and grinned. “Well, this fish isn’t going to eat itself. Anyone else want some?”

“I’ll pass,” Deceit grumbled.

Virgil shrugged and replied, “Sure, why not.”

Patton and Virgil sat at the edge of the river bank and split the fish in half. Deceit watched them from a distance. The breeze cooled his skin and dried his hair. Virgil and Patton idly talked over something about Patton’s childhood. Really, Deceit should’ve been paying attention, but he didn’t feel he deserved to be a part of Patton’s life. Not with the way he treated him.

Patton laughed, and Virgil offered a gentle smile. Deceit couldn’t help but smile as well. He played with the rock Patton tried to use to sharpen the stick and sighed. Maybe Patton wasn’t as helpless as he thought he was. Maybe… maybe he didn’t have to protect him. Maybe he didn’t have to lock him in that house so Remus wouldn’t find him. He let out a long sigh through his nose and rested his chin on his head.

For a moment, Deceit forgot he was the one who trapped Patton on the island. It was his fault Patton was stuck here, and the only true way he could show he was sorry was to let Patton go. But he couldn’t do that. Not yet. Not until that bastard he made the deal with died or something. Either that or Roman came for Patton. Then, Deceit had a choice. He could go through with killing Roman and Patton, or he could let them both free and face the consequences. So far, he was leaning more toward killing Roman, but he’d cross that bridge when he got to it.

Baby steps, Deceit. Baby steps.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Feel free to just leave a heart as a comment if you can't think of anything else to say. I swear it'll make me smile. And if you want, check me out on Tumblr at altruistic-skittles :D
> 
> Have a lovely day <3
> 
> -Cat


End file.
